WALES

Electoral System (National Assembly)

Wayne David: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has for reforming the electoral system for the National Assembly for Wales.

Peter Hain: The Government proposals to address problems with the current electoral system are set out in chapter 4 of the Better Governance for Wales" White Paper, which was published on 15 June 2005.

Electoral System (National Assembly)

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals to reform the system of election of members of the National Assembly for Wales Government.

Peter Hain: The Government's proposals to address problems with the current electoral system are set out in Chapter 4 of the Better Governance for Wales" White Paper, which was published on 15 June 2005.

Electoral System (National Assembly)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the National Assembly for Wales on future voting arrangements for elections; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: I have regular discussions with colleagues in the National Assembly for Wales.
	The Government's proposals to address the electoral system are set out in Chapter 4 of Better Governance for Wales", White Paper which was published on 15 June 2005.

Council Tax Rebanding

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with National Assembly for Wales Ministers on council tax rebanding.

Peter Hain: I regularly meet the First Minister to discuss matters affecting Wales.

Road Safety

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with police forces in Wales on improving road safety.

Nick Ainger: My right hon. Friend and I have regular discussions with police forces in Wales on a variety of issues including road safety.
	Under the Government's road safety strategy we are seeking a 40 per cent. reduction in deaths and serious injuries by 2010. The Road Safety Bill currently being considered in the other place will help make this possible.

Drug and Alcohol Abuse

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what measures are being taken to tackle drug and alcohol abuse in Wales.

Nick Ainger: Wales is tackling drug and alcohol misuse by the delivery of its national substance misuse strategy. The strategy in Wales is implemented at a local level by the 22 Community Safety Partnerships via the delivery of their action plans.

Dentistry

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Department of Health on the availability of NHS dental services in Wales.

Nick Ainger: I regularly meet with the Assembly Health Minister to discuss dental services in Wales. In addition, following last Friday's meeting with National Assembly Wales, Department of Health and the British Dental Service to discuss Dental contracts in the UK, my hon. Friend Peter Hain will be meeting the Secretary of State for Health tomorrow to discuss the on-going negotiations on the new dental contracts for England and Wales.

Devolution

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who he has consulted on the future of devolution for Wales in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Following the launch of the Government's White Paper Better Governance for Wales" on June 15, there was a comment period, which finished on September 16. Eighty-two responses were received, and they can be found on the Wales Office website.

English Hospital Treatments

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh patients were treated in English hospitals in the last year for which figures are available.

Peter Hain: 38, 665 Welsh patients were treated in English hospitals last year.
	It is important that patients are able to access treatment, including specialist treatment, at the nearest hospital. Due to medical and geographical reasons, some provision of services has always been across border.
	Continuous improvements are being made in the management of cross border referrals, and a joint protocol was launched in March of this year to clarify responsibilities and guide health commissioners in managing patient flows.

Youth Crime

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department on youth crime in Wales.

Peter Hain: The Government are supporting a wide-ranging programme to tackle youth offending and to prevent children being drawn into crime in the first place. This includes tackling deprivation and working with families and education services, along with on-going implementation of the 10-year anti-drugs strategy. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister recently announced a major new drive to increase the take-up of parenting contracts and orders, as part of our strategy for fostering respect in society.

WORK AND PENSIONS

50-plus Year-Olds

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many adults aged between 50 and state pension age there were in (a) 1997 and (b) 2005; and how many were in work in each year.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Neil Gerrard, dated 2 November 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of adults aged between 50 and state pension age in 1997 and 2005; and how many of them were in employment. (23284)
	The attached table provides the available information. The table covers the three month period ending in August of the years 1997 and 2005.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		People aged between 50 to state pension age1, levels and rates2, United Kingdom, seasonally adjusted
		
			   Of which:  
			 Three month period ending August Total in employment (Thousand) Rate (percentage)2 
		
		
			 All persons
			 1997 8,072 5,206 64.5 
			 2005 9,060 6,380 70.4 
			 
			 Men
			 1997 4,685 3,154 67.3 
			 2005 5,233 3,782 72.3 
			 
			 Women
			 1997 3,387 2,052 60.6 
			 2005 3,827 2,598 67.9 
		
	
	(1) Covering men aged 50 to 64 and women aged 50 to 59 in private households, student halls of residence and NHS accommodation.
	(2) Number of people in employment as a percentage of all persons in the relevant age group.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey

EDS

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last met representatives of EDS.

Stephen Timms: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, met with Michael Jordan, Chairman and Chief Executive of EDS on 27 July 2005. Officials from the Department meet with EDS executives on a regular basis.

Pensioner Benefits

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Kettering constituency received (a) the state pension, (b) applied for pension credit and (c) received the pension credit in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 28 October 2005
	Information is not available on the number of pension credit applicants at constituency level.
	The information available is presented in the following two tables.
	
		Table 1: State pension caseload for the Kettering parliamentary constituency for March 2000 to May 2005
		
			 Date Total (thousands) 
		
		
			 May 2005 19.0 
			 May 2004 18.6 
			 May 2003 18.3 
			 May 2002 18.0 
			 March 2002 18.3 
			 March 2001 18.2 
			 March 2000 17.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	2. The figures for March 2000 to March 2002 are based on data from the 5 percent. samples.
	3. The figures for May 2002 to May 2005 are directly from the WPLS 100 percent. data.
	Source:
	DWP Information directorate: Work and Pensions longitudinal study
	
		Table 2: Pension credit caseload for the Kettering parliamentary constituency for November 2003 to May 2005
		
			 Date Total (thousands) 
		
		
			 May 2005 4.3 
			 May 2004 4.0 
			 November 2003 3.2 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003 and replaced minimum income guarantee (income support for people aged-60 or over). The vast majority of people who were previously in receipt of the minimum income guarantee transferred to pension credit in October 2003.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	DWP Information directorate: Work and Pensions longitudinal study 100 per cent. data.

Pensioner Benefits

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency have received (a) the Christmas bonus, (b) the over-80s age top-up and (c) winter fuel payments in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The available information on the Christmas Bonus is in the table below and is based on the estimates of state pension recipients.
	
		
			  Date Estimated numbers of Christmas bonus payable in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency 
		
		
			 September 1999 17,000 
			 September 2000 16,700 
			 September 2001 16,500 
			 November 2002 16,000 
			 November 2003 15,900 
			 November 2004 16,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	3. The figures for September 1999 to March 2002 are based on data from the 5 per cent. samples.
	4. The figures for May 2002 to May 2005 are directly from the WPLS 100 per cent. data.
	5. Data sources are not available prior to September 1999.
	Source:
	WP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS) 100 per cent. data and 5 per cent. samples.
	We do not collect information on the over 80s age top up of 25p a week by constituency, however, they are comparable with the figures shown for the 80+ annual payment in the table.
	Information relating to winter fuel payments for the winters of 1997–98 and 1998–99 is not available. The information for Kingston and Surbiton constituency from winter 1999–2000 is in the table, including details of the 80+ annual payment introduced in winter 2003–04 and now included as part of the winter fuel payment to those aged 80 or over. These figures are also available in the Library.
	
		
			  Winter fuel payments made in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency 80+ annual payments made in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency 
		
		
			 1999–2000 16,780  
			 2000–01 18,045 80+ Annual Payments 
			 2001–02 18,100 were first made in 2003 
			 2002–03 17,990  
			 2003–04 17,910 4,365 
			 2004–05 17,790 4,270 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data is taken at the specified dates.
	2. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	4. Local authorities and parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	5. Those receiving the 80+ annual payment are also receiving a winter fuel payment.
	Source:
	Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample

Pensioner Benefits

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Kingston and Surbiton constituency have (a) received the state pension, (b) applied for pension credit and (c) received the pension credit in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: Information is not available on the number of pension credit applicants at constituency level.
	The information available is presented in the following two tables.
	
		Table 1: State pension caseload for the Kingston and Surbiton parliamentary constituency for March 2000 to May 2005.
		
			 Date Total (thousands) 
		
		
			 May 2005 15.9 
			 May 2004 16.0 
			 May 2003 16.0 
			 May 2002 16.2 
			 March 2002 16.2 
			 March 2001 16.2 
			 March 2000 16.7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	2. The figures for March 2000 to March 2002 are based on data from the 5 percent. samples.
	3. The figures for May 2002 to May 2005 are directly from the WPLS 100 percent. data.
	Source:
	DWP Information directorate: Work and Pensions longitudinal study
	
		Table 2: Pension credit caseload for the Kingston and Surbiton parliamentary constituency for November 2003 to May 2005.
		
			 Date Total (thousands) 
		
		
			 May 2005 3.0 
			 May 2004 2.7 
			 November 2003 2.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Pension credit was introduced on 6 October 2003 and replaced minimum income guarantee (income support for people aged-60 or over). The vast majority of people who were previously in receipt of the minimum income guarantee transferred to pension credit in October 2003.
	2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory.
	Source:
	DWP Information directorate: Work and Pensions longitudinal study 100 percent. data.

Pensioner Benefits

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date the £200 council tax rebate will be paid to pensioner households in England.

Stephen Timms: In most cases the £200 payment to help with council tax bills will be paid automatically with the winter fuel payment. Payments will be made over a number of weeks from early November. Eligible people who do not receive a winter fuel payment will need to claim. Claims must be received by 30 March 2006.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Zimbabwe

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the UN position is on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe.

Hilary Benn: The spokesman of the UN, Secretary General Kofi Annan gave a briefing in New York on Monday 31 October, expressing the deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. The UN continues to receive reports that tens of thousands of people are still homeless and in need of assistance, months after the eviction campaign, called 'Operation Drive Out Rubbish' began in May 2005. DFID has already provided £1 million to UN agencies to provide emergency food, blankets, medical assistance and other non-food items to the victims. The Government of Zimbabwe have now formally rejected offers of UN assistance to provide temporary shelter for these victims, stating publicly that there is no humanitarian crisis. The Secretary-General made a strong public appeal to the Government of Zimbabwe to ensure that those who are out in the open, without shelter and without means of sustaining their livelihoods, are provided with humanitarian assistance in collaboration with the United Nations and the humanitarian community.
	In terms of the broader humanitarian situation, despite compelling evidence of a very low grain harvest earlier this year, the Government of Zimbabwe similarly denies that the country needs international assistance to address food insecurity. Independent surveys indicate that between three and five million people will face food shortages in the coming months. The UN, through the World Food Programme, has secured agreement from the Government of Zimbabwe to distribute 300,000 tonnes of food to the most poor and vulnerable households. DFID has already pledged £10 million for this programme.
	The UK fully supports the UN position on the humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. We strongly condemn the cynical and callous attitude of the Zimbabwe Government towards the well-being of its own citizens.

SCOTLAND

Departmental Consultation

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list formal consultations being sponsored by his Department; and what the (a) commencement date and (b) deadline for responses is in each case.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office is not currently undertaking any consultations. The Office has previously consulted on the size of the Scottish Parliament and Sunday working in Scotland. The details can be found in the consultations section of the Scotland Office website at:
	www.scotlandoffice.gov.uk/our-communications.

Departmental Staff

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills of new recruits to his Department.

David Cairns: All the staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA); the Office does not directly recruit staff.
	The Executive's current entry criteria for administrative grades require a minimum of two SCE standard or ordinary grades, including English and a subject that clearly indicates competency in figure work. Tests may sometimes be offered to give candidates the opportunity to display an equivalent level of numeracy and literacy. Where posts require a higher level of literacy or numeracy skills, the minimum criteria will be adjusted accordingly and the level of skill may be tested during the assessment process.
	In the DCA, there is no formal requirement for all new recruits to be assessed in literacy and numeracy skills. General recruitment asks for administration experience or a minimum of five GCSEs for administrative grades or two A levels for executive grades; both minima require English. The DCA uses competence and job specification based recruitment which assesses candidates against the criteria in both the application form and at interview.

Departmental Staff

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what training in (a) literacy and (b) numeracy is offered to employees of his Department.

David Cairns: All the staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive or the Department for Constitutional Affairs (DCA); the Office does not employ staff directly.
	The Scottish Executive recognises the importance of continuous support to staff, through training, to improve their skills and marketable qualifications and offers a range of training courses to do this. The need for training and improving skills more generally is identified as part of the staff reporting system within the Executive.
	In the DCA, testing for literacy and numeracy is available for all staff on demand through their Skills for Life" initiative. Staff can undertake written or computerised tests. The Department has undertaken to fund any training identified to improve individual literacy and/or numeracy levels resulting from the tests and has worked with local colleges and Union Learning representatives to address those needs.

TRANSPORT

Departmental Spending

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on items of art in 2004–05.

Karen Buck: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency spent £4,900 on art in 2004–05. No other art has been purchased by the Department.
	The works of art displayed within Ministers' offices have been provided on loan from the Government Art Collection (GAC). I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) in respect of GAC expenditure in 2004–05 on 1 November 2005, Official Report, column 896W.

Gloucester Parkway Station

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of whether the greater distance to Gloucester Parkway station from Cheltenham Spa station will result in greater use of car transport.

Karen Buck: All major scheme project bids including that of Gloucester Parkway are subject to detailed economic appraisal to determine the effects of the scheme and its value for money. This work is currently being undertaken.

Gloucester Parkway Station

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely impact of the proposed Gloucester Parkway station on Cheltenham Spa rail services.

Karen Buck: The impact of the proposed Gloucester Parkway on Cheltenham Spa rail services is being considered as part of the economic appraisal of the scheme currently being undertaken.

Pandemic Provisions

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's role in containing a pandemic.

Karen Buck: The Department for Health lead on the preparations for, and response, to any human pandemic outbreak. Appropriate action would be taken by the Department for Transport as required.

Ports

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport to how many ports the Transport Security Directorate has provided technical assistance in respect of compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code since its introduction.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has provided technical assistance to approximately 550 port facilities in the UK in approving some 380 port facility security plans in accordance with the requirements of the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code.

Railways

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of First Great Western's proposals to reduce train journey times from London to Swansea to two hours.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 1 November 2005
	I am not aware of any such proposal.

Stansted Airport (Noise Pollution)

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to reduce noise pollution from Stansted airport; and if he will make a statement.

Karen Buck: The Government have a two-strand approach to tackling the problem. The first strand is to seek reductions of noise at source through international negotiation and agreement, implemented by national regulation. The second strand is to provide for controls on operational noise and the mitigation of its worst effects. Stansted is designated for the purposes of section 78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, making the Secretary of State directly responsible for those controls.
	The 2004 annual noise exposure contours for Stansted were published in August 2005 and are on the Department's website at www.dft.gov.uk together with ERCD Report 0503 which provides data on the areas and populations within the contours and comparisons with earlier years. Between 1988 and 1998 areas and populations within the contours generally rose in line with movements but in 1999, despite the high traffic growth, the area within the 57 dBA Leq contour fell by 19 per cent. and this improvement has been maintained so far despite further significant growth in traffic.

Welsh Ports (Freight Handling)

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the (a) value and (b) volume of freight passed through Welsh ports was in each year since 1997; and how many people have been employed (i) in total and (ii) to handle freight at Welsh ports in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: holding answer 31 October 2005
	The available information is as follows:
	
		Traffic passing through Welsh ports, 1997 to 2004
		
			 Thousand tonnes 
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Barry 384 433 445 597 586 547 457 403 
			 Cardiff 2,857 2,452 2,661 2,699 2,739 2,209 2,287 2,504 
			 Fishguard 420 387 395 421 341 408 474 522 
			 Holyhead 2,951 3,407 3,437 3,444 3,229 3,288 3,329 3,945 
			 Milford Haven 34,518 28,783 32,187 33,768 33,792 34,543 32,737 38,452 
			 Mostyn 320 326 359 310 309 871 944 656 
			 Neath 525 506 474 466 504 369 383 416 
			 Newport 2,974 2,628 2,532 2,673 2,980 3,111 2,790 3,448 
			 Port Talbot 13,050 13,302 11,821 11,725 8,271 4,971 7,819 8,555 
			 Swansea 3,674 3,137 1,650 1,014 1,261 1,069 848 721 
			 Other ports 633 789 618 776 722 634 545 428 
			 Total 62,307 56,150 56,578 57,892 54,734 52,020 52,613 60,051 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures include both traffic going into and coming out of Welsh ports.
	Information on freight traffic passing through Welsh ports by value, and estimates of the number of people employed at Welsh ports is not available.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what period she recommends a movement ban for poultry in the event of an avian influenza outbreak.

Ben Bradshaw: The Diseases of Poultry (England) Order 2003 outlines the restrictions that are put in place in the event of an outbreak of avian influenza.
	An infected area extending for at least ten kilometres around the infected premises is declared. Restrictions imposed in this area include a ban on the movement of poultry for at least 30 days except under the authority of a licence issued by a veterinary inspector. In practice the movement ban would not be lifted until we are satisfied that disease is no longer present in the infected area.
	We have draft legislation to implement a national or regional movement ban should the veterinary risk indicate that it is necessary. However, we would at an early stage implement a licensing regime under strict biosecurity rules to allow for essential and safe movements within the poultry industry. The length of the movement ban would be dependent on the nature of the risk.

Avian Influenza

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the National Farmers Union about the possible impact of avian influenza on the farming industry; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has met with a number of stake holders, including the National Farmers Union, to discuss issues such as avian influenza among other things.

Avian Influenza

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Chinese authorities regarding the animal health implications of recently reported outbreaks of avian influenza in central Hunan, Inner Mongolia and An Hui provinces.

Ben Bradshaw: China, as a member of the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) has a responsibility to report all outbreaks of notifiable diseases to OIE. China has provided the OIE with details of the outbreak in Hunan and An Hui provinces. The OIE publish details of all outbreaks on its website. Officers from the Department monitor the situation and assess the risks of any outbreaks. As imports of birds and their products are already prohibited no further action was necessary in this case.

Avian Influenza

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the presence of H5N1 avian influenza virus in Taiwan.

Ben Bradshaw: We continue to closely monitor the spread of the H5N1 virus in South East Asia. Taiwan has not officially reported an outbreak of H5N1.

Birds

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the merits of the suspension of bird fairs.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 24 October 2005
	Commission Decision 2005/734/EC (as amended by Decision 2005/745/EC) required member states to prohibit gatherings of birds. These Decisions were made on 19 and 21 October 2005 respectively and required any necessary legislation to be put in place immediately
	Domestic legislation implementing the Decisions came into force on 28 October after two meetings with key stakeholders. The Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations 2005 (2005 No. 2989) bans bird markets, fairs and other gatherings of birds. We have discussed with stakeholders and published the criteria on which some gatherings may continue under licence and subject to biosecurity controls.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many smuggled Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species-listed birds were seized by HM Customs and Excise entering the UK in (a) 2000, (b) 2001, (c) 2002 and (d) 2003;
	(2)  how many Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species-listed birds have arrived dead as recorded by HM Customs and Excise (a) in 2000, (b) in 2001, (c) in 2002, (d) in 2003, (e) in 2004 and (f) to date in 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: I have been asked to reply.
	Details of seizures of all CITES listed species and specimens made by HM Customs and Excise from 1999–2003 are published on the UKCITES website at www.ukcites.gov.uk/news/tradestatistics.htm.
	The seizure statistics include CITES birds that are smuggled and also those which are seized as a result of regulatory breaches.
	There is no requirement for Customs to record details of any mortalities in any consignment of birds but the above website also includes such information where it has been recorded by the local officer.

Birds

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will issue guidance to the public in respect of the appropriate action to be taken when dead birds are found in public areas.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 24 October 2005
	Information for the public in the form of a full question and answer guidance has been issued on the DEFRA website
	(http://defraweb/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/qanda-wildbirds.htm) in respect of appropriate action to be taken.
	In the event of an unusual die-off in wild birds (unusually high number of dead wild birds), the DEFRA Helpline (08459 33 55 77) should be contacted giving as much relevant information as possible to help DEFRA to decide if further action is necessary.

Birds

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will introduce legislation to prevent (a) the production of game birds for sport shooting and (b) the use of battery cages to produce game birds; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: There are no plans at present to introduce such provisions under the Animal Welfare Bill. Instead, this will seek to establish the general principle that people have a responsibility to ensure the welfare of animals they are responsible for. In relation to game birds, we propose to use the powers available under the Bill to reinforce the duty to ensure welfare, by formally regulating their keeping.
	We are aware that there are concerns about the use of cages in the rearing of game birds. These concerns will be considered by Defra veterinarians to assist us in identifying problems that exist in this type of rearing system and the extent to which they can be addressed through regulations and a code.

Birds

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether keepers of free range (a) chickens and (b) pheasants will be required to register under the new national register of poultry businesses; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The requirement is set out in the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) Regulations 2005 (2005 No. 2989). All people who keep 50 or more poultry on commercial premises are required to keep written records of certain information. They will be required to notify this information to the Secretary of State by a date to be specified by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State will then maintain a national poultry register.
	The definition of poultry includes free range chickens and pheasants kept in captivity for the production of commercial products, for restocking supplies of game or for breeding.

Bovine TB

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cattle on farms in Wiltshire have been slaughtered following contraction of bovine tuberculosis in each of the past five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The number of TB infected cattle slaughtered on farms in Wiltshire over the last five years is given in the following table:
	
		
			 Year(3) Number of cattle slaughtered in Wiltshire(4) 
		
		
			 2004 1,044 
			 2003 1,138 
			 2002 1.0933 
			 2001 2933 
			 2000 484 
		
	
	(3) Data downloaded from State Veterinary Service database on 19 May 2005. All data provisional and subject to change as more data becomes available.
	(4) TB Reactors plus Direct Contacts.
	(5) In 2001, the TB testing and control programme was largely suspended due to the foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak. When testing resumed in 2002, resources were concentrated on herds with overdue TB tests which would have had a longer period in which to contract the disease. Also the proportion of high risk herds tested immediately after the FMD outbreak was greater than that prior to the outbreak. As a result, data for 2001 and 2002 are not comparable with other years.

Bovine TB

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Department has made of whether badgers act as a reservoir for tuberculosis.

Ben Bradshaw: The report of the review group chaired by Sir John Krebs, published in 1998, concluded there is strong evidence for an association between TB in badgers and cattle".
	The Randomised Badger Culling Trial (RBCT) was designed to gather evidence by testing the impact of two badger-culling strategies (proactive and reactive culling) on the incidence of bovine TB in cattle herds. The reactive element of the trial was suspended in November 2003 after interim analysis of data showed that reactive culling might lead to an increase in the incidence of cattle TB in reactive areas when compared to control (survey only) areas. However, the trial continues in proactive (and survey only) treatment areas.
	The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISO), which oversees the trial, has undertaken to bring any significant results from the proactive element of the trial to Ministers' attention.

Bovine TB

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy that badger culls for the purposes of the control of bovine tuberculosis will take place only after rigorous scientific study.

Ben Bradshaw: The strategic framework sets out the process for decision making on badger culling. This signals development of policy options for badger culling based on scientific evidence, analysis of practicality, cost-effectiveness, sustainability and humaneness. I expect to make an announcement on badger culling, one way or another, later in the autumn.

Cattle Imports (Brazil)

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's policy is towards beef exports from Brazil which are in transit.

Ben Bradshaw: Consignments of meat which were produced on or before the outbreak (before 30 September) will be allowed to be imported providing they meet the import rules. If produced after 30 September, the consignment will be refused. Defra have been advised by the European Commission that where consignments are mixed, the part of the consignment produced from animals slaughtered before 30 September may be admitted.

Environment Council

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the meeting of the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg on 17 October.

Elliot Morley: I refer the hon. Member to the written Ministerial Statement on the outcome of the Council made on 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 23–24WS in line with the new procedures. A copy of the Statement is attached.

Farm Waste

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she has given to farmers about the disposal of waste from farms; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: We sent a summary of the consultation paper on the draft Agricultural Waste Regulations" to 162,000 farmers and growers in England and Wales. The summary advised farmers of the five basic options available to them for the disposal of their waste when the regulations come into force.
	We intend to issue guidance to accompany the final regulations. The Environment Agency is also developing practical guidance on a range of issues on which farmers and growers may seek advice when the regulations come into force (eg the storage of waste and farm dumps). This guidance is being developed in consultation with the Agricultural Waste Stakeholders' Forum. The agency and members of the forum organised a farmer focus meeting on 8 September 2005 at Holme Lacy College to gauge the level of farmers' understanding of the forthcoming waste management controls, to help shape the guidance being developed and to ensure its effectiveness.

Fishing No-take Zones

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to change the number of fishing no-take zones.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 28 October 2005
	A recent Defra publication, 'Charting a new course' explains how we intend to develop with stakeholders work on protected areas to increase fish stocks. We will develop criteria for the selection of Marine Protected Areas and then use those criteria to contribute to the development of an integrated approach to the selection of multi purpose MPAs, including for wider nature conservation. We are also considering how many additional protected areas might be needed to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity and fulfil the international commitments we have made in this area.
	In relation to fisheries protected areas, we would need to consider the nature and degree of protection required within an identified area for a specific stock or stocks. Current scientific advice is, however, that a total ban on fishing within a defined area (a no take zone) may not inevitably benefit stocks, particularly mobile species such as cod and that we might better achieve our objectives through seasonal or gear restrictions rather than total closure.
	In parallel the Government are committed to a Marine Bill to introduce a new framework based on marine spatial planning, that balances conservation, energy and resource needs, to obtain best value from different uses of our valuable marine resources by maintaining and protecting the ecosystems on which they depend.

Flood Prevention (Kent)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to improve flood prevention measures in Kent.

Elliot Morley: Defra has policy responsibility for flood risk management in England. The Environment Agency is the principal authority responsible for operational flood risk management. Defra funds most of the agency's flood related work and grant aids individual projects undertaken by local authorities and internal drainage boards.
	More than three hundred kilometres of coastal and tidal flood defences are maintained by the Environment Agency around the Kent coastline. The agency's future capital programme envisages substantial investment in the county of Kent for projects in the next three to five years. Current projects include £9.8 million spend this year on a sea defence project at High Knocke to Dymchurch and smaller flood alleviation schemes in East Peckham, Aylesford, Jury's gap and the Romney and Stour Marshlands.
	The agency is developing the Medway Estuary and Swale flood risk management plan, the North Kent shoreline management plan, Thames Estuary 2100 strategy, and the Stour and North Kent rivers catchment flood management plans. These high level planning documents will inform and influence planning and investment for the next one hundred years.
	The agency also provides advice (typically on ninety applications per month in Kent) to planning authorities to help with the Government's aim of avoiding inappropriate development in areas of flood risk.
	In addition to the Environment Agency's work, Tonbridge and Mailing borough council is currently promoting the East Peckham flood defence scheme with Defra grant aid at an estimated cost of some £928,000.

GM Crops

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will seek to move control over genetically modified crops from the EU back to individual member states; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Government have no plans to seek to change the current regulatory regime which exists at EU level to govern the deliberate release into the environment and the placing on the market of genetically modified organisms.
	Decisions as to what can be consumed or grown in the EU as a whole have been taken by member states collectively under a regime of safety testing, monitoring and control which was set up in 1990, and has been strengthened significantly since.

Household Waste

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to increase the proportion of household waste which is recycled.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government set each local authority a statutory target for recycling and composting for 2003–04 and 2005–06 and is now consulting on proposals for targets for 2007–08. Provisional figures show more than a fifth (approaching 23 percent.) of household waste in England was recycled, in 2004–05.
	To support the attainment of these targets, Defra introduced the Household Waste Recycling Act in 2003 which provides that English waste collection authorities shall ensure, except in certain circumstances, that by the end of 2010 they collect at least two recyclable materials from doorsteps separate from the remainder of the waste. About two thirds of households in England now receive a kerbside collection of recyclable materials.
	In the spending review 2004 the Government announced an increase in the environmental, protective and cultural services block of £888 million over 2004–05, by 2007–08 and over the three-year period to 2005–06, authorities are also benefiting from a total of £294 million invested through the waste minimisation and recycling fund. Its successor, the waste performance and efficiency grant, will run in parallel for the first year and provide a further £260 million over the three years to 2007–08.
	Since 2002, local authorities have also been assisted by targeted support and advice available through the waste and resources action programme and Defra's waste implementation programme—which will continue to provide targeted assistance to authorities for a further two years and an announcement of its new programme will be made in December 2005.

Illegal Logging

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she plans to take against timber merchants in the UK that are found to be stockpiling illegally logged timber.

Elliot Morley: Under the Forestry Law Enforcement Governance and Trade (FLEGT) regulation agreed at the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 24 October, it will be possible to prohibit entry into the EU of illegal timber products from countries that enter into Partnership Agreements with the EU for the first time. The UK will have the authority to impose penalties on timber importers who infringe this regulation. However, there is no legal prohibition on the possession of illegally logged timber in the UK per se.
	FLEGT will also not address timber that comes from non partner countries that may be believed to be illegal. The Proceeds of Crime Act (2002) and EC legislation dealing with Money Laundering (including Directive 2001/97/EC) can be used to pursue those trading in illegal timber, but this depends on proving that a crime has been committed and that there is mutual criminality in both the source and receiving countries.

Kyoto Protocols

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government are planning to take on greenhouse gas emissions to ensure compliance with the Kyoto protocol.

Elliot Morley: We remain on course comfortably to achieve the UK's Kyoto target of a 12.5 percent. reduction in greenhouse gas emissions during the first commitment period, 2008–12. Provisional 2004 figures released in March show that emissions of the basket of six greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), the hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 )) were about 12 ½ percent. below the base year, and that the policies already in place would achieve significant further reductions to ensure compliance. We are currently reviewing UK climate change programme and are looking at how existing policies are performing and the range of policies that might be put in place in future, in order to assess the policies needed to put us back on track towards our much more ambitious domestic goal of a 20 percent. reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2010. Achieving this would correspond to a reduction of well over 20 percent. in the Kyoto basket.

Recycling (Plastics)

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Government are taking (a) to promote and (b) to facilitate the recycling of plastic household products made from (i) single polymers and (ii) mixed polymers.

Ben Bradshaw: Through the waste and resources action programme (WRAP), the Government are spending £20 million with local authorities to raise awareness of recycling in their own communities, and £10 million on a national recycle now" campaign. Information about plastic recycling can be found on the campaign website www.recyclenow.com
	WRAP have developed a number of programs to promote plastic bottle recycling from households and have identified end markets for mixed dirty" plastic waste which will help to drive increased recycling.
	The management of plastic packaging waste is already addressed in the UK through the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended). These regulations require packaging producers to recycle 22.5 percent. of all plastic packaging entering the UK waste stream by 31 December 2008. Last year the UK recycled 19 percent. up from 7 percent. in 1997.
	I understand that RECOUP (recycling of used plastic) and the BPF (British Plastic Federation) have recently been promoting and facilitating the collection and recycling of single polymers including plastic bottles and expanded polystyrene from the household waste stream. The industry is currently examining possible applications for mixed polymers, which may include concrete type products.
	The Government are in the process of implementing the EU waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive, which will require the treatment and recycling to target levels of all separately collected WEEE, including small, plastic-rich equipment.

Recycling (Plastics)

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government will make it a requirement for all plastic household products to be marked according to a standard code indicating the type of polymer used in their manufacture to enable consumers to identify and sort the main types of plastic for recycling purposes.

Ben Bradshaw: The Government have no plans to make the marking of plastic household products mandatory.
	In relation to packaging, however, the European Commission Decision 97/129/EC provides for numbering and abbreviations to identify the different packaging materials, including plastics. Whilst the marking system is voluntary, we would encourage manufacturers to use the markings where possible to aid the process of sorting and recycling of plastic packaging waste.

Sheep Movements

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the recent change in the rules that apply to the recording of sheep movements; and whether she (a) sought and (b) received the approval of the National Farmers Union for the changes.

Ben Bradshaw: The recent changes to the way in which sheep and goat movements are reported were introduced to ensure that our rules were equivalent in effect to EU rules on the identification and movement of sheep. On this basis we secured a temporary derogation from the need to double tag sheep and goats. This expires in April 2006. Only if sheep and goat farmers are found to comply with these rules is the derogation likely to be extended.
	The National Farmers Union was fully consulted on the proposed changes and agreed with them. They agreed to the issue of the explanatory letter, which included their logo, to sheep and goat keepers in England on 24 October.

Slug Pellets

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the recommended concentration of Bixtrex animal deterrent is in slug pellets sold in the UK; what the concentration of such deterrent is in Duff Slugoids slug pellets as sold in the UK; and what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the content of such deterrent in those pellets.

Elliot Morley: The concentration of the animal deterrent Bitrex in slug pellet products sold in the UK varies, depending on the product concerned. For all these products, including Doff Slugoids, the range is 100–300mg for each 100g of product.
	All pesticide products sold in the UK are subject to an approval. The regulatory authority is the Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD). Approvals, such as that held by Doff Slugoids, are issued on the basis of PSD's assessment of experimental safety and efficacy data. This assessment includes an evaluation of the need for a deterrent in the product under consideration and at what level.

Southern Water Services Ltd.

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons Southern Water Services Limited have reported customer billing inconsistencies to the Serious Fraud Office; what assessment she has made of the implications for customers; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: Southern Water Services Limited reported irregularities in the handling and reporting of customer inquiries and complaints to the Office of Water Services and to the Serious Fraud Office.
	Southern Water has given the Office of Water Services an assurance that customers who have been disadvantaged will be reimbursed. The Office of Water Services will conduct an investigation and report on its conclusions in due course.
	The company has asked the Serious Fraud Office whether or not this is a suitable matter for it to investigate. It is for the Serious Fraud Office to decide whether to investigate further.

Warm Front Scheme

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households in (a) Hartlepool constituency and (b) the Tees Valley sub-region have received assistance under the Warm Front Scheme in each year since the scheme began.

Elliot Morley: Between the launch of the Warm Front Scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2005, the number of households assisted in each year in Hartlepool constituency are as follows:
	
		
			  Number of households assisted 
		
		
			 2000–01 563 
			 2001–02 756 
			 2002–03 819 
			 2003–04 1,096 
			 2004–05 774 
			 Total 4,008 
		
	
	During the same period, the number of households assisted in the Tees Valley sub-region (that is including the areas of Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland and Stockton on Tees) are as follows:
	
		
			  Number of households assisted 
		
		
			 2000–01 3,095 
			 2001–02 8,511 
			 2002–03 7,427 
			 2003–04 5,186 
			 2004–05 4,318 
			 Total 28,537

Warm Front Scheme

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many residents in the Kettering constituency were (a) eligible for and (b) received grants under the Warm Front Scheme in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: Information on the exact number of residents in Kettering eligible for Warm Front is not available. However, on the basis of the statistical modelling used by the Warm Front Scheme Manager it is estimated that around 11,000 households in Kettering could currently be eligible for assistance from the Scheme.
	Between the launch of the Warm Front Scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2005, the number of households assisted in each year in Kettering are as follows:
	
		
			  Number of households assisted 
		
		
			 2000–01 157 
			 2001 -02 329 
			 2002–03 337 
			 2003–04 278 
			 2004–05 241 
			 Total 1,342

Waste Management

Adrian Bailey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to align local authorities' waste collection targets with those set for packaging manufacturers.

Ben Bradshaw: On 26 October I launched a consultation on options for local authority recycling and composting targets for household waste in 2007–08. This consultation is due to end on Friday 20 January, 2005.
	The current review of waste strategy 2000 is considering a longer term vision, looking more broadly at the future direction of local authorities, wider waste streams and the role of statutory targets. The review is taking into account the fact that there are already a number of policy levers designed to drive the management of waste up the hierarchy such as the landfill allowance trading scheme, the landfill tax escalator as well as the obligations imposed on the producers of waste, including in relation to the recycling of packaging materials and of waste electrical and electronic equipment.

Water Desalination Plants

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water desalination plants are (a) in operation, (b) under construction and (c) planned, broken down by location; and what company is involved in each case.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 31 October 2005
	Water companies' proposals for resource developments, including proposed desalination plants, in fulfilment of their duties to maintain adequate supplies of water are set out in the 25 year water resources plans they prepared in 2004. The Environment Agency has advised Ministers about the appropriateness of these proposals and other measures to ensure security of supply, in its report Maintaining water supply", which was published in July 2004.
	No water company yet has a desalination plant in operation though South East Water has one under construction at Newhaven and is testing a pilot plant at this site.
	Thames Water is presently seeking planning permission for a major desalination plant at Beckton in the Thames estuary. Thames Water's water resources plan identifies a second plant in the 2020s. Folkestone and Dover Water and Southern Water also propose the development of desalination plants in the 2020s. The location of these proposed plants will be a matter for the companies concerned to determine.

TREASURY

Banks (Branch Closures)

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce legislation to oblige banks (a) to consult customers and local residents and (b) to offer support and adequate alternative banking arrangements, in the event of branch closures in small rural communities; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Government have no plans to introduce legislation in this area. However, all of the main high street banks and building societies are signed up to the Banking Code, which has recently been subject to an independent review. Through the Banking Code there is now an obligation for subscribers to:
	give customers extended notice of branch closure if the road distance of the nearest alternative branch is more than one mile in urban areas or more than four miles in rural areas;
	explain how they continue to provide services after the branch has been closed in a way that is specific to local provision; and,
	give notice of any substantial reduction in opening hours.

Banks (Branch Closures)

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of bank branch closures on social exclusion in small rural communities, with particular reference to (a) local residents and (b) small local businesses.

Ivan Lewis: Work is under way through the Financial Inclusion Taskforce to explore how the financially excluded individuals access their cash and transmit money. Among other things, this work will identity the mechanisms for accessing banking services that are used by the financially excluded. The results of this work are due next year.
	In addition, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs works closely with other Departments to ensure that when developing and implementing policy they consider the needs of rural residents, and particularly the most disadvantaged.

Debt Counselling

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has received from debt counselling services since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The Department for Trade and Industry coordinates the Government's work on consumer credit and tackling over-indebtedness. Ministers in that Department have engaged with a wide variety of stakeholders on this issue.

Employment Figures

Vera Baird: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women aged over 65 years (i) started a job with a new employer, (ii) were employees and (iii) were employed in 2004.

John Healey: The Information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Vera Baird, dated 2 November2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the number of people over 65 years of age who have changed jobs in 2004. (23686)
	The attached table provides the available information showing the number of people aged 65 and over, who are employees, were in employment 12 months ago and who had changed jobs one or more times within the last 12 months.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		People aged 65 and over who changed job in the last 12 months—United Kingdom
		
			 Thousand 
			 Three months ending May 2005 Total Male Female 
		
		
			 All employees aged 65 and over 362 192 170 
			 of which:
			 In employment(6)12 months ago 325 177 148 
			 of which:
			 Changed jobs in past year(7)(5508280008) 8 7 1 
		
	
	(6) Includes both employees and the self employed.
	(7) Includes people who changed jobs more than once in past year.
	(8) Only includes people who had a change of employer.
	Source:
	ONS—Labour Force Survey

IT Projects

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many IT projects have been developed for his Department since 2001; and whether he has agreed to make public (a) in full and (b) in part Gateway Reviews for these projects.

John Healey: Eight IT projects have been or are about to be delivered between 2002 and 2005. A Gateway Review is conducted on a confidential basis for the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) and is not generally made public. To disclose Gateway Review Reports or RAG status information would be likely to prejudice both the ability of reviewers to examine the effectiveness, efficiency and economy with which other Government Departments exercise their functions and also the formulation and development of Government policy.

Mortgages

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provisions against loan losses the Financial Services Authority and its predecessor bodies have required mortgage lenders to make on their mortgage portfolios since 1998; and when guidance has been issued over the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is operationally independent of the Government and is responsible for determining what provisions against loan losses it has required mortgage lenders to make on their mortgage portfolios since 1998, and when it has issued guidance on this over the last three years. The FSA shall be writing to the hon. Member shortly about these issues.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the level of employer contributions to public sector final salary pension schemes in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The information requested is not available.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department is conducting exercises aimed at quantifying the level of official error in child and working tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: Information on official error is collated by reference to the amount of relief given. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on the 27 October 2005, Official Report, column 497W, which provides an update on the amount of official error relief given.
	Details on accuracy of processing and calculating awards in 2004–05 were published in the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General 2004–05, which forms part of the 2004–05 Inland report accounts. This shows an accuracy level of 96.5 per cent. in 2004–05.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his policy that staff at HM Revenue and Customs should take a decision on which tax credit payments are recoverable under code of practice 26 before recovery action on tax credits is initiated; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Code of practice 26, 'What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?', sets out HMRC's policy on dealing with overpayments. I refer also to the reply to the hon. Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie) on 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 368W.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on suspending the recovery of tax credit overpayments in disputed cases; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, East (Mr. Mudie), of 26 October 2005, Official Report, column 368W.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time taken was for a caller to be answered on the MPs' tax credit hotline in each month since April 2003.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available.
	Call management and monitoring technology were only introduced to the MP hotline number on 7 October 2005.

Tax Credits

Adam Holloway: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps are being taken to improve the operation of the tax credit system;
	(2)  pursuant to the Written Statement from the Paymaster General of 26 May 2005, Official Report, columns 22–3WS on tax credit over-payments, what progress has been made on the implementation of the six measures to improve the tax credits system.

Dawn Primarolo: In my Statement to the House on 26 May 2005, Official Report, column 22WS, I outlined a six point recovery plan to improve the administration of tax credits. I reported on the progress that has been made on these measures at a hearing of the Treasury sub-Committee on 26 October.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the automated response telling hon. Members and their staff that all the tax credit advisers at the MPs' tax credit hotline are busy was introduced; and if he will make it his policy to increase the number of staff available to serve the hotline.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 24 October 2005
	New telephony equipment was introduced to the MP hotline on 7 October 2005.
	The level of staffing on helplines is kept under review.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the likely impact on staff (a) time and (b) requirement of the decision to intervene manually in the case of a tax credit overpayment where the automatic recovery procedure has been initiated.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs currently estimates that the manual suspension of recovery and subsequent necessary administrative processes will add 40 minutes to the processing of a disputed overpayment case.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the likely average time between an automatic recovery procedure being initiated in a case of overpaid tax credits and the manual intervention by officials to stop that procedure.

Dawn Primarolo: Manual intervention to stop an automatic recovery procedure will normally take place within five working days of Tax Credit Office receiving a dispute, unless the case can be brought to a satisfactory conclusion before that time.

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in receipt of tax credits and who are most at risk of an overpayment have been contacted by HM Revenue and Customs to ensure that their stated circumstances and incomes are up to date.

Dawn Primarolo: As agreed with HM Revenue and Customs and announced in my statement of 26 May 2005, HMRC is currently testing the effectiveness of different methods of encouraging families to keep them informed of changes in their circumstances.
	HMRC recently completed a programme of outward bound telephone calls to try and encourage people to return their renewal forms before the deadline date of 30 September 2005.

Tax Credits

Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the performance target is for the commencement of payment of working tax credit once an application has been received;
	(2)  what percentage of working tax credit applications are being processed within the target time.

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average time was between a tax credit application being made and the claimant receiving the first payment in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC has Service Delivery Agreement targets for deciding tax credits claims, renewals and changes of circumstance within five days and 30 days. Targets and the performance against these targets in 2003–04 are published in the former Inland Revenue's annual report for 2003–04. 2004–05 targets and indicative results of performance are published in spring report for 2004–05 and the results, together with targets for 2005–06 will be reported in the Department's annual report in due course. These reports are available on the HMRC website, www.hmrc.gov.uk
	There are no performance targets for commencement of tax credit payments. Payments are made automatically on the first scheduled payment date after the claim is decided.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many car owners paid (a) the full rate of vehicle excise duty and (b) the reduced rate for low carbon emission vehicles in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: Before 1999 all cars paid a single flat rate of Vehicle Excise Duty. In 1999, the Government introduced a new VED scheme based on two classes of engine capacity. In 2001, the Government introduced a graduated carbon emission based VED scheme—applicable only to cars registered after that date—to reflect environmental impacts.
	
		Total number of vehicles in the Private and Light Goodsvehicle class
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000 27,028,100 
			 2001 26,240,404 
			 2002 25,781,936 
			 2003 25,126,172 
			 2004 24,405,548 
		
	
	
		Reduced rate VED(9) (applicable to cars registered before 1 March 2001)
		
			 Number of vehicles paying the standard rate Number of vehicles paying a reduced rate 
		
		
			 10,848,852 6,733,635 
			 11,711,478 7,482,636 
			 12,744,272 8,399,582 
			 19,242,552 3,816,177 
			 20,559,122 3,846,426 
			 22,212,057 1,762,879 
		
	
	(9) The reduced rate was introduced in 1999 for cars with an engine capacity of 1100cc or less. This was extended to cars up to 1200cc in 2003 and further extended to cars below 1550 cc in 2002.
	
		Graduated VED (applicable to cars registered on or after 1 March 2001)
		
			  Graduated VED CO2 based band 
			  Band A(10) Band B(11) Band C(12) Band D(13) Band E(14) Band F(15) 
		
		
			 2004 374 205,185 2,625,255 2,188,537 1,753,238 2,673,024 
			 2003 358 129,117 1,873,400 1,645,896 1,328,499 2,069,020 
			 2002 — 59,883 1,147,618 1,129,638 889,936 1,411,007 
			 2001 — — 492,133 483,888 441,597 649,825 
		
	
	(10) Introduced in 2003 for cars registered since March 2001 with co 2 emissions up to 100 g/km.
	(11) Introduced in 2002 for cars registered since March 2001 with co 2 emissions up to 120 g/km. From 2003 this band covered cars with co 2 emissions between 101 and 120 g/km.
	(12) Introduced in 2001 for cars registered since March 2001 with co 2 emissions up to 150 g/km. From 2002 this band covered cars with co 2 emissions between 121 and 150 g/km.
	(13) Introduced in 2001 for cars registered since March 2001 with co 2 emissions between 151 and 165 g/km.
	(14) Introduced in 2001 for cars registered since March 2001 with co 2 emissions between 166 and 185 g/km.
	(15) Introduced in 2001 for cars registered since March 2001 with co 2 emissions over 185 g/km.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on the pattern of purchasing of new motor cars of the introduction of graduated vehicle excise duty in 2001; and whether a higher proportion of low emission cars has been sold.

John Healey: Since the introduction of the reformed VED system, graduated according to CO 2 emissions, the percentage of new cars sold in VED band B has risen from 0.1 per cent. in 2000 to 3.2 per cent. in 2004. The percentage of cars in new car sales in VED band C has increased from just under 20 per cent. to just over 30 per cent. during the same period.
	Alongside the EU-wide voluntary agreements on average new car fuel efficiency, and the new CO 2 -based company car tax regime introduced in 2002, the introduction in 2001 of the graduated Vehicle Excise Duty scheme has had a part to play in the average fuel efficiency of new cars sold in the UK improving by some 10 per cent. since 1995.

Youth Unemployment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of youth unemployment has been in Coventry, South in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Jim Cunningham, dated 2 November 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about youth unemployment. (23240)
	Table 1, attached, shows the total numbers of unemployed young people aged 16 to 24 who were resident in the Coventry, South parliamentary constituency. The table covers the 12 month periods ending in February each year from 1997 to 2004 and the 12 month period ending in March 2005. These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to sampling variability.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2, attached, shows the annual average number of JSA claimants, aged 18 to 24, resident in the Coventry, South constituency for 1997 to 2004.
	The data are published on the ONS Nomis(r) website: www.nomisweb.co.uk.
	
		Table 1: Numbers of unemployed, aged 16 to 24, resident in the Coventry, South constituency
		
			  Thousand 
			 12 months ending Coventry, South 
		
		
			 February 1998 1 
			 February 1999 1 
			 February 2000 1 
			 February 2001 1 
			 February 2002 1 
			 February 2003 1 
			 February 2004 1 
			 March 2005 1 
		
	
	Note:
	The estimates for local areas are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a very high degree of sampling variability. Changes from year-to-year, especially, should be treated with caution.
	Source:
	Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey
	
		Table 2: JSA claimants, aged 18 to 24, resident in the Coventry, South constituency
		
			 Annual averages Coventry, South 
		
		
			 1997 770 
			 1998 670 
			 1999 545 
			 2000 470 
			 2001 470 
			 2002 470 
			 2003 540 
			 2004 475 
		
	
	Note:
	Computerised claims only. Data rounded to nearest five for disclosure control.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

PRIME MINISTER

Heads of State Meeting (Hampton Court)

Graham Brady: To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Informal Meeting of Heads of State at Hampton Court Palace on 27 October.

Peter Law: To ask the Prime Minister what proposals he put to the informal EU Leadership Summit in Hampton Court on (a) securing European energy security, (b) enhancing innovation in science and technology in the European Union and (c) mitigation of climate change impacts.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Members to the written ministerial statement that I made to the House on 31 October 2005, Official Report, columns 29–32WS.

President of China (State Visit)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Prime Minister if he will use the forthcoming State Visit of China's President (a) to encourage the President to meet the Dalai Lama and (b) to express the UK's concern over the Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Mike Hancock: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  if he will raise the issue of human rights in Tibet during the forthcoming visit of the President of China;
	(2)  if he will offer to facilitate a meeting between the Dalai Lama and the President of China.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 31 October 2005, Official Report, column 674W.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Carbon Management Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the Parliamentary Estate will sign up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

Nick Harvey: The Parliamentary Estate has been participating in the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management Energy Efficiency programme since 2004. The Parliamentary Estate have considered participating in the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management five-step process and intends to sign up to it in 2006.

Director of Parliamentary Communications

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with how many hon. Members the Director of Parliamentary Communications (a) has held meetings and (b) has not held a meeting following a request for such a meeting.

Nick Harvey: Records of such requests are not held, but the Director and his administrative team do not recall any occasions when a Member has requested a meeting and one has not been arranged.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Affordable Housing

Meg Hillier: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable housing units expected to be built or procured through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and Challenge Fund in the London Region in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07 and (c) 2007–08 are (i) mixed funded social rented housing, (ii) temporary social rented housing, (iii) homebuy general market purchase, (iv) homebuy general new build, (v) mixed funded low cost home ownership for sale, (vi) miscellaneous works to RSL stock, (vii) reimprovements to rented RSL stock, (viii) works only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock, (ix) works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (x) intermediate rent for key workers, (xi) homebuy market purchase for key workers, (xii) homebuy new build for key workers, (xiii) mixed funded sale for key workers, (xiv) right to acquire, (xv) voluntary purchase grant, (xvi) starter home initiative, (xvii) do-it-yourself shared ownership, (xviii) temporary intermediate and (xix) market rented housing; and how much will be spent on each category in each year.

Yvette Cooper: The following tables show the latest estimated completions and expenditure in the London region for 2005–06 through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme, for categories from (i) to (xix). Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.
	
		Estimated completions in London region in 2005–06
		
			   Units 
		
		
			 i Mixed Funded Social Rent 3,842 
			 ii Temporary Social Rent 396 
			 iii Homebuy Market Purchase 459 
			 iv Homebuy New Build 33 
			 v Mixed Funded for Sale 1,288 
			 vi Miscellaneous works to RSL stock 2,166 
			 vii Reimprovements to RSL rented stock 86 
			 viii Works only rehabilitation of RSL rented stock 124 
			 ix Works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for Sale 0 
			 x Intermediate rent for key workers 250 
			 xi Homebuy market purchase for key workers 2,231 
			 xii Homebuy new build for key workers 0 
			 xiii Mixed funded sale for key workers 482 
			 xiv Right to Acquire 27 
			 xv Voluntary Purchase Grant 7 
			 xvi Starter Home Initiative 4 
			 xvii Do-it-yourself-shared Ownership 0 
			 xviii Temporary intermediate 0 
			 xix Market rent housing 0 
		
	
	
		Estimated expenditure in London region in 2005–06
		
			   £ million 
		
		
			 i Mixed Funded Social Rent 318.663 
			 ii Temporary Social Rent 10.175 
			 iii Homebuy Market Purchase 23.098 
			 iv Homebuy New Build 0.802 
			 v Mixed Funded for Sale 52.475 
			 vi Miscellaneous works to RSL stock 6.042 
			 vii Reimprovements to RSL rented stock 3.011 
			 viii Works only rehabilitation of RSL rented stock 2.458 
			 ix Works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for Sale 0.000 
			 x Intermediate rent for key workers 11.832 
			 xi Homebuy market purchase for key workers 131.673 
			 xii Homebuy new build for key workers 0.000 
			 xiii Mixed funded sale for key workers 39.357 
			 xiv Right to Acquire 0.420 
			 xv Voluntary Purchase Grant 0.112 
			 xvi Starter Home Initiative 0.241 
			 xvii Do-it-yourself-shared Ownership 0.000 
			 xviii Temporary intermediate 0.000 
			 xix Market rent housing 0.000 
		
	
	Note:
	Categories vi,vii,viii and ix are not usually counted as completions, and figures are provided for illustrative purposes.
	Source:
	Housing Corporation Information Management System as at 12 October 2005.
	For 2006–07 and 2007–08 Regional Housing Boards have made recommendations to Ministers for the allocation of Regional Housing Pots funds. The London Regional Housing Board has recommended that from their allocation of £2,280 million for the two years a total of £l,684 million should be allocated to the provision of affordable housing. However, the exact distribution of funding between programmes for 2006–08 will not be known until the completion of the Housing Corporation's bidding process.
	In August 2005 the Housing Corporation launched the bidding round for the 2006–08 Affordable Housing Programme (AHP). This invited both registered social landlords and non-registered bodies to apply for funds to develop affordable housing based on priorities set by the Regional Housing Boards. The outcome of this bidding round will not be known until early in 2006.

Affordable Housing

Clive Betts: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many affordable housing units expected to be built or procured through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme in the Yorkshire and Humber Region in (a) 2005–06, (b) 2006–07, (c) 2007–08 are (i) mixed funded social rented housing, (ii) temporary social rented housing, (iii) homebuy general market purchase, (iv) homebuy general new build, (v) mixed funded low cost home ownership for sale, (vi) miscellaneous works to registered social landlord stock (RSL), (vii) reimprovements to rented RSL stock, (viii) works only rehabilitation of rented RSL stock, (ix) works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for sale, (x) right to acquire, (xi) voluntary purchase grant, (xii) do-it-yourself shared ownership and (xiii) temporary intermediate and market rent housing; and how much will be spent on each category in each year.

Yvette Cooper: The following tables show the latest estimated completions and expenditure in the Yorkshire and Humber region for 2005–06 through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme, for categories from (i) to (xiii). Funding and completions are not directly comparable, as funding will relate to projects running, not necessarily units completed, in any one year.
	
		Estimated completions in Yorkshire and Humber region in 2005–06
		
			   Units 
		
		
			 i Mixed Funded Social Rent 963 
			 ii Temporary Social Rent 53 
			 iii Homebuy Market Purchase 58 
			 iv Homebuy New Build 0 
			 v Mixed Funded for Sale 169 
			 vi Miscellaneous works to RSL stock 172 
			 vii Reimprovements to RSL rented stock 102 
			 viii Works only rehabilitation of RSL rented stock 3 
			 ix Works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for Sale 0 
			 x Right to Acquire 42 
			 xi Voluntary Purchase Grant 47 
			 xii Do-it-yourself-shared Ownership 0 
			 xiii Temporary intermediate & Market rent housing 0 
		
	
	
		Estimated expenditure in Yorkshire and Humber region in 2005–06
		
			   £ million 
		
		
			 i Mixed Funded Social Rent 48.710 
			 ii Temporary Social Rent 1.333 
			 iii Homebuy Market Purchase 1.651 
			 iv Homebuy New Build 0.000 
			 v Mixed Funded for Sale 3.567 
			 vi Miscellaneous works to RSL stock 0.267 
			 vii Reimprovements to RSL rented stock 3.209 
			 viii Works only rehabilitation of RSL rented stock 0.397 
			 ix Works only rehabilitation of RSL stock for Sale 0.000 
			 x Right to Acquire 0.382 
			 xi Voluntary Purchase Grant 0.455 
			 xii Do-it-yourself-shared Ownership 0.000 
			 xiii Temporary intermediate & Market rent housing 0.000 
		
	
	Note:
	Categories vi,vii,viii and ix are not usually counted as completions, and figures are provided for illustrative purposes.
	Source:
	Housing Corporation Information Management System as at 12 October 2005.
	For 2006–07 and 2007–08 Regional Housing Boards have made recommendations to Ministers for the allocation of Regional Housing Pots funds. The Yorkshire and Humber Regional Housing Board has recommended that from their allocation of £301 million for the two years a total of £138 million should be allocated to the provision of affordable housing. However, the exact distribution of funding between programmes for 2006–08 will not be known until the completion of the Housing Corporation's bidding process.
	In August 2005 the Housing Corporation launched the bidding round for the 2006–08 Affordable Housing Programme (AHP). This invited both registered social landlords and non-registered bodies to apply for funds to develop affordable housing based on priorities set by the Regional Housing Boards. The outcome of this bidding round will not be known until early in 2006.

Climate Change (Developer Guidance)

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance on climate change for developers have been issued by his Department.

Yvette Cooper: The briefs and guides on climate change issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are listed as follows:
	The Planning Response to Climate Change—Advice on Better Practice (September 2004)
	The Approved Documents to part L of the Building Regulations.

Departmental Finance

John Pugh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much of the money spent by his office through the Sustainable Communities Directorate has been spent (a) in the North West and (b) in the South East.

Yvette Cooper: Estimated spend in the North West and South East regions through the Sustainable Communities Directorate in 2004–05 is as follows:
	
		Spend in £ million
		
			 Programme North West South East 
		
		
			 Housing Corporation 116.6 326.5 
			 Housing Market Renewal Fund 95.5 — 
			 Other Growth Areas — 15.5 
			 Black and Minority Ethnic RSLs 9.0 — 
			 Safer Communities Housing Fund 1.3 2.3 
			 Starter Home Initiative — 2.2 
			 Other Programmes 0.3 0.6 
			 Total 222.7 347.1 
		
	
	Note:
	1. This assessment of expenditure by regions was based on total expenditure plans in Dec 2004 and is consistent with the latest edition of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses.
	2. Differing methods of allocating or apportioning spend between regions have been used for the programmes. In each case the most appropriate method was used for the programme in question.

Fire and Rescue Service

Michael Spicer: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effect of the Working Time Directive on retained staff within the fire and rescue service; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No specific assessment has been made by this Office of the effect of the Working Time Directive on Retained Duty System (RDS) staff within the Fire and Rescue Service. Under the current Working Time Regulations RDS firefighters can work more than 48 hours as long as they have signed a waiver for their primary employer as well as the fire and rescue service confirming they wish to opt out of the limit on working hours.

Information Security

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the compliance of local authorities with BS7799 on information security management; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: All local authorities in England, as part of the Implementing Electronic Government (IEG) process are required to report their compliance with the British Standard on Information Security Standard BS 7799. The IEG process is subject to independent verification by the Audit Commission or the local authority's own independent external auditor.
	To date there have been four completed IEG rounds, the latest IEG4 reported that 85 per cent. of council's assessed themselves as being either compliant or actively implementing BS 7799.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy among employees of his Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Development and Training pages of the ODPM intranet include one called Skills for Life which provides information and web links to a variety of resources.
	The Skills for Life page has a link to the Department for Education and Skills website, which promotes an online literacy and numeracy check and gives practice versions of the National Test and supporting information. Further information and resources include information and a link to LearnDirect.
	All new entrants receive a personal induction chat at which attention is drawn to the Skills for Life strategy and a self-test and further information contained in their personal induction pack. In addition, Skills for Life is listed as an induction module and contacts for further advice are given, including a local supplier.

Mobile Phone Masts

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning permission applications have been granted for mobile phone masts in Coventry, South since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, during September and October every year the mobile network operators write to every local authority with details of their network rollout for the year ahead. When they write to the local authority they also provide details of their existing sites within the local authority area. My hon. Friend may want to contact the network operators for copies of their plans.

Rural Housing

David Drew: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many houses built in rural settlement according to the rural exceptions policy have been built in each of the last five years.

Yvette Cooper: The requested information is currently available for the three financial years 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04.
	
		Affordable housing delivered through the planning system on rural exception sites in England
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001–02 694 
			 2002–03 391 
			 2003–04 262

DEFENCE

Aldermaston

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the allocated expenditure on the Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston (a) was in 2004–05 and (b) is in 2005–06.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 October 2005
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 10 October 2005, Official Report, column 15W, to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) and my hon. Friend the Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn).

Armed Forces Deployment

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of armed forces personnel serving in Iraq are (a) Welsh, (b) English, (c) Scottish, (d) Irish and (e) foreign nationals.

Don Touhig: Information on the nationality of all service personnel serving in Iraq is not held centrally.

Armed Forces Deployment

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of (a) the British armed forces and (b) British armed forces who have served in Iraq are (i) Irish and (ii) foreign nationals.

Don Touhig: The percentage of UK armed forces who are Irish or Foreign nationals is set out in the following table:
	
		Percentage
		
			 Service Irish Foreign 
		
		
			 Naval Service 0.2 1.1 
			 Army 0.2 5.8 
			 Royal Air Force 0.1 0.3 
		
	
	Naval Service figures are for UK Regular Forces including Nursing Services, Full Time Reserve Service and activated reservists. Army and RAF data are for UK Regular Forces (trained and untrained), including Nursing Services and excluding Full Time Reserve Service personnel, Gurkhas, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists.
	Information on the nationality of all the service personnel who have ever served in Iraq is not held centrally.

Correspondence

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve the Department's performance in replying to hon. Members' correspondence.

Don Touhig: Every effort is made to handle all correspondence effectively and efficiently.
	All correspondence from hon. Members and Peers is handled in accordance with the principles set out in 'Handling Correspondence from members of parliament, members of the House of Lords, MEPs and Members of Devolved Assemblies: Guidance for Departments'. The same principles apply when handling correspondence from members of the public.
	Information relating to the performance of Departments in replying to Members/Peers' correspondence is published on an annual basis. The report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, columns 137–40WS.
	The Ministry of Defence plans to introduce a new intranet-based toolkit to better track and handle all correspondence in 2006. This should enable us to better monitor our performance and help early identification of problems and delays.

Departmental Consultation

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list formal consultations being sponsored by his Department and its agencies; and what the (a) commencement date and (b) deadline for responses is in each case.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking one formal consultation the title of which is the Met Office Proposal for Changes to its Civil Centre Network". It is being carried out by the Met Office, which is a Trading Fund of the Ministry of Defence.
	The consultation period began on 5 July 2005 and the original deadline for responses was 20 October 2005. However, as a result of the comments received during the consultation period, and based on further analysis and research undertaken by the Met Office with its commercial customers (particularly in respect of potential impact on revenue), I have agreed that the Met Office should further develop an additional option. As a result, a consultation document (Met Office Proposals for changes to its civil centre network—Consideration of further option") with further details of this new proposed option was issued on 24 October and the consultation period has been extended until 15 November to allow comments on it.
	Copies of both consultation documents are available on the Met Office website at http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2005/consultation.pdf and http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/corporate/pressoffice/2005/CivilCentreConsultationNewOption251005.pdf respectively.

Departmental Property

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what property his Department owns in the Kettering constituency.

Don Touhig: There are two defence-related properties located within the Kettering constituency: a fuel depot and an Air Training Corps (ATC) establishment in Northampton Road, Kettering, which is the property of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.

Future Aircraft Carriers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  for what reason the signing of the contract to begin future aircraft carrier construction has been postponed; and on what date he expects it to be signed;
	(2)  whether he expects that the first of the future aircraft carriers will meet its projected in-service date of 2012;
	(3)  what his latest estimate is of the cost of constructing each future aircraft carrier.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 October 2005
	The future aircraft carrier (CVF) project is in its assessment phase, the aim of which is to balance the key parameters of performance, time, cost and risk.
	As with all projects in the assessment phase, in-service dates (ISDs) are not fixed until the main investment decision. Estimated costs are being constantly refined and it will not be bounded until the main investment decision. The decision on construction strategy and associated contracts will form part of our main investment decision.

Future Aircraft Carriers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely impact of France joining the UK future aircraft carrier project.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 October 2005
	Given that both we and France are embarking on major, complex carrier procurement projects, we are examining areas of mutual benefit and opportunities to deliver economies. It is for industry to put forward proposals which will be judged on their merits and in light of national policies. It has been agreed with France that for co-operation to work, it must deliver cost savings and must do so without delaying UK or French programmes.

Future Aircraft Carriers

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether a decision has been taken to equip the future aircraft carriers to operate conventional carrier aircraft as well as VSTOL aircraft.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 27 October 2005
	The future carriers are being designed to operate STOVL aircraft with an innovative design providing the ability to adapt them to operate conventional aircraft if required.

Future Rapid Effects System

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any international collaboration has been proposed in relation to the Future Rapid Effects System.

Adam Ingram: Detailed studies during the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES) initial assessment phase will investigate whether international collaboration offers a potential solution for FRES.

Gulf War Veterans

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many servicemen and women from Wales who served in the 1990–91 Gulf conflict are suffering from diagnosed illnesses.

Don Touhig: holding answer 1 November 2005
	Information on all the illnesses reported by members of the armed forces is not held centrally. For serving personnel, medical records are normally held locally by service medical officers. For individuals who have left the services, the normal practice is to offer the records to their GPs for permanent retention.

Hearing Loss

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) medical and (b) scientific research his Department has (i) commissioned and (ii) evaluated to support the use of 50 decibels as the threshold for veterans claiming compensation for noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss as a result of their military service.

Don Touhig: Neither the Ministry of Defence, which is responsible for veterans matters, nor the former Department of Social Security, which was responsible for the War Pensions Scheme until 2001 and remains responsible for the related civilian Industrial Injuries Scheme, have commissioned medical or scientific research on this issue. However, the Government's approach to noise-induced sensorineural hearing loss assessment is based on contemporary scientific evidence and understanding. This has been confirmed in recent years by several reviews carried out by independent audiological experts including the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council which confirmed the appropriateness of the threshold in November 2002.

Housing

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the letting of his Department's Housing Prime Contract.

Don Touhig: In April 2005 Modern Housing Solutions, a joint venture company (comprising Carillion, WS Atkins and Enterprise) was appointed Designated Contractor for the Housing Prime Contract. The Ministry of Defence has, since that date, undertaken the normal internal approvals processes and contract award is expected before the end of this calendar year, with the successful contractor being fully operational by the end of financial year 2005–06.

Iraq

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers serving in Iraq are residents of (a) London and (b) Kingston and Surbiton.

Don Touhig: Deployment data are not held centrally in databases of individual records and it is therefore not possible to give figures by place of residence.

Iraq

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what financial assistance the US has provided to the UK military deployment in Iraq.

John Reid: The US provides funding in a number of areas to support the Coalition mission in the UK-led Multi-National Division (South East) but the US provides no direct funding for the UK military deployment in Iraq.

Irish Regiments (Posthumous Pardons)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  when and at what level discussions have taken place with representatives of the Irish Government following their submission for posthumous pardons in respect of 26 soldiers of Irish regiments executed in the Great War for cowardice and desertion; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will place in the Library copies of submissions received from the Irish Government requesting that consideration be given to granting posthumous pardons in respect of 26 soldiers of Irish regiments executed in the Great War for cowardice and desertion.

Don Touhig: Officials from the Ministry of Defence and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office are involved in continuing discussions with the Irish Government about their submission and our response to it. It would not be helpful to those discussions for us to consider releasing the Irish Government's submission before we have decided what our final response should be and advised them of it.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy among employees of his Department.

Don Touhig: The Ministry of Defence recently issued a revised policy to the armed forces which set them challenging targets to address the literacy and numeracy needs of their personnel. The policy makes clear that achievement must be evidenced by the gaining of a nationally recognised qualification and all support must work towards this end. Work is continuing to examine how the policy can be extended to meet the needs of the MOD civil service but meanwhile is being promoted through online advice and its network of learning and development advisers.
	The MOD continue to support the gaining of qualifications by making testing opportunities as easily available as possible. Personnel are able to access national tests readily at many of the Department's network of electronic learning centres, within UK and in overseas garrisons.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head in each year since 2002.

Don Touhig: The information that has been requested is not held centrally by the Ministry of Defence and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Married Quarters

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters have been upgraded in each of the last three years.

Don Touhig: The following number of married quarters (in England, Wales and Scotland) have been upgraded to the DE Standard 1 for Condition in each of the last three years.
	
		
			 Financial year Number upgraded 
		
		
			 2004–05 2,610 
			 2003–04 1,402 
			 2002–03 1,440

Married Quarters

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many properties his Department's married quarters estate possesses in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Don Touhig: As at 27 October 2005, there were 44,225 properties in England and 1,092 in Wales.

Medals

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average waiting period before an application for a 1939–45 medal is dealt with was in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement.

Don Touhig: Applications for World War II medals are currently being processed within 12 months of receipt. However, applications for the terminally ill and veterans who are over 90 years of age are given priority and processed immediately. Towards the end of this calendar year, by which time the bulk of Suez Canal Zone Medal applications will have been assessed, more resources will become available to meet the continuing demand for World War II medals.

Patrol Boats

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current situation is with regard to the sale of patrol boats by British Aerospace to Brunei; to what extent the UK Government underwrote the deal; whether the Government played a part in resolving the dispute over the deal; whether a cost to the Government have been incurred; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: This is a matter for the parties to the contract, BAE Systems and the Government of Brunei. The United Kingdom Government have been encouraging the parties to reach agreement, but it would be inappropriate to comment on the progress of the discussions. For commercial reasons, it is the Government's practice not to comment on whether it has underwritten any such contract. The Royal Navy, with the agreement of both parties, last year undertook an independent study of the progress of the programme. The costs of the short study were met by the Ministry of Defence.

Personnel Transfers

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF personnel have been transferred in 2005 from front line squadrons to work in the Harrier Maintenance Facility on the Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme; and how many volunteered to do so.

Adam Ingram: In September 2005, 34 RAF personnel were temporarily transferred from front line squadrons to work in the Harrier Maintenance Facility on the Joint Upgrade and Maintenance Programme (JUMP). On current plans, this temporary transfer will end in March 2006.
	Transfers of this nature are an integral part of the JUMP contract, which is designed to accommodate additional maintenance requirements in support of operations.

QinetiQ

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the final cost was of the 2003 QinetiQ 1 balloon launch; and from what budget this was funded.

Adam Ingram: The QinetiQ 1 balloon was a QinetiQ sponsored project and did not involve any funding from Ministry of Defence. It is an operational matter for the company; questions should be referred to the company's chief executive.

Territorial Army

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many infantry Territorial Army privates have served in Iraq since March 2003; and what proportion they are of the total Territorial Army contribution.

Don Touhig: Since March 2003 some 1,275 infantry Territorial Army (TA) privates have served in Iraq in an infantry role, which represents approximately 12 per cent. of the total TA contribution. This figure does not include members of the TA who have an infantry cap badge but were deployed in a non infantry role, as individual reinforcements. Information relating to these individuals could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Warships

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimate is of the cost of the (a) Swan Hunter-built vessels and (b) BAE Systems-built vessels which form part of the Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary) project.

Adam Ingram: The current contract values for the costs associated with the build of the Swan Hunter vessels is £236 million and £176 million for the BAE Systems vessels. The Swan Hunter contract includes £62 million for the provision of Lead Yard Equipment and Services in support of the construction of the two BAE Systems ships, and £11 million for initial spares provisioning for all four ships. Both companies have indicated likely cost increases to their programmes, and as these are subject to commercial discussions between the Ministry of Defence and the companies. I am unable to give further details at this time.

CABINET OFFICE

Call Centres

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many call centres were run by his Department and its agencies in (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06 to date; and how many and what proportion of calls (i) were handled by an adviser, (ii) were received but abandoned and (iii) received an engaged tone.

John Hutton: No call centres were run by the Cabinet Office and its agencies in 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06 to date.

Departmental Consultation

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list formal consultations being sponsored by his Department and its agencies; and what the (a) commencement date and (b) deadline for responses is in each case.

John Hutton: The information requested is as follows:
	Department
	Cabinet Office
	Title of consultation
	Reform of public sector ombudsman services in England.
	Commencement date
	2 August 2005.
	Deadline for responses
	18 November 2005.

Departmental Skills Development Plan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which individual is responsible for developing and implementing his department's skills development plan.

John Hutton: Each department's human resources director is responsible for ensuring that their department develops and implements a skills development plan.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much his Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head in each year since 2002.

John Hutton: The department did not run specific in-house training on either literacy or numeracy programmes in 2002 and 2003. Between June 2004 and March 2005, the department spent £7,200 on in-house literacy training. This training was embedded in events designed to improve business writing skills. The cost per head of these events was £100 per attendee. There was no specific training on numeracy skills in this period.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many employees in his Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002.

John Hutton: Since 2002, two employees in the department have requested training to improve their literacy and numeracy skills via their union learning representative.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy amongst employees of his Department.

John Hutton: The department has made information packs on skills for life available to all staff. These packs have promoted the initial assessment tests in literacy and numeracy. The tests have also been promoted through the department's union learning representative and at specific learning events such as learning at work day 2005. The departmental intranet is currently being updated to consolidate existing information about skills for life initiatives, including access to national tests.

Parliamentary Ombudsman

Damian Green: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to reduce the delays in cases taken up by the parliamentary ombudsman; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable), 19 October 2005, Official Report, 1063W.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

BBC

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with the BBC in the context of Charter renewal regarding its planned move to Manchester; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will make a statement on the BBC's modernisation plans that are linked to charter renewal.

Tessa Jowell: I will set out the results of BBC Charter review in a White Paper, due to be published in the next few months.

Carbon Management Programme

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department will sign up to the Carbon Trust's Carbon Management programme.

James Purnell: We have no current plans to join the Carbon Trust Carbon Management programme. My Department took advantage last year of the free energy survey then offered by the Carbon Trust and put their recommendations in place. We are also in the early stages of planning a major refurbishment of our headquarters building and will be using this opportunity to pursue further energy savings measures.

Cricket

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to support local amateur cricket clubs.

Richard Caborn: The Government, through Sport England, makes Grant Awards to the English Cricket Board (ECB) to support their delivery of both the professional and amateur game in England and Wales. A key part of the ECB's strategy for the next four years, as laid out in their plan Building Partnerships—cricket's strategic plan" focuses on increasing participation especially among young people and from 2006 they will be investing £10.6 million to help achieve this including supporting more cricket facilities at local clubs.
	Sport England also makes awards to the ECB under the Community Club Development Program (CCDP) under which £9.4 million has been earmarked for cricket. In the first year of the CCDP programme, more than 100 local clubs have been supported.
	The Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme, launched in 2002, has also been of significant financial value to amateur cricket clubs. In October 2005, cricket clubs made up the largest sporting sector registered under the scheme—over 600 of the 3,300 clubs with CASC status. CASC has been worth £7.5 million to sports clubs in total; so, an estimated £1.5 million has been put back into grassroots cricket through tax reliefs.

Departmental Skills Development Plan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which individual is responsible for developing and implementing her department's skills development plan.

David Lammy: The department's skills development plan is developed and implemented by a number of officials under the supervision of the department's head of human resources.

Departmental Skills Development Plan

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of her department's skills development plan.

David Lammy: Yes.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of new recruits to her Department do not have a level 2 qualification in English and mathematics.

David Lammy: The information requested is not recorded as we recruit on the basis of a competency assessment not qualifications.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what methods of assessment of (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills are used as part of the recruitment process by employees of her Department.

David Lammy: Recruitment is based on a competency assessment. The Department's core competences are people management, financial management, project and programme management, analysis and use of evidence and partnership working and stakeholder management.

London Olympic Games

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her latest estimate is of the (a) cost of and (b) completion dates for the construction of stadiums for the 2012 London Olympics; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: Details of estimated costs and completion dates for the construction of stadia for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympics games can be found in chapters six and eight of the Candidature File, which was presented to the International Olympic Committee in November 2004. This information can be found at http://www.london2012.org/en/news/publications/Candidatefile/.

London Olympic Games

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the original budget was for site assembly for the London 2012 Olympics; and what the current estimate is of the money required.

Tessa Jowell: The original budget set by the London Development Agency for land assembly was £478 million. This budget is being reviewed to reflect the land assembly required and the level of remediation involved. It will continue to be re-appraised and re-assessed in accordance with the effective project management of a capital project of this scale.

Nazi Plundered Material

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the negotiations begun in 2001 to find the appropriate route to remove the legislative barriers preventing the return of Nazi plundered material.

David Lammy: My Department is planning to issue a public consultation document in due course, which will contain the detailed proposals for legislation.

Public Appointments

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public appointments she made in the last financial year; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The details of each public appointment, made by myself and my Department's Ministers, are announced on my Department's website at www.culture.gov.uk/public appointments. The public appointments made in the last financial year, ending 31 March 2005, were as follows:
	
		
			  Appointments 
		
		
			 National Gallery Prof. Mervyn King 
			   
			 National Heritage Memorial Fund Dr. Tristram Hunt 
			  Dr. Brian Lang MA PhD 
			  Matthew Saunders MBE 
			   
			 National Maritime Museum Admiral The Lord Boyce GCB OBE 
			  Gilly Drummond 
			  Sir John Guinness CB 
			  Alan Titchmarsh MBE 
			   
			 National Museums Liverpool Professor Drummond Bone 
			  Lorraine Rogers 
			  Brian Wong 
			   
			 National Portrait Gallery Zeinab Badawi 
			  Lady Douro 
			   
			 Public Lending Right Advisory Committee Anthony Bradman 
			   
			 Royal Armouries Jon Hammond 
			  Patricia Langham 
			  John Siddall 
			   
			 Royal Parks Advisory Board Prof. Sir Peter Crane 
			   
			 S4C John Walter Jones 
			  Winston Roddick CB QC 
			   
			 Sport England Michael Farrar 
			  Karren Brady 
			   
			 Tate Gallery Melanie Clore 
			  Fiona Rae 
			   
			 Theatres Trust Jason Barnes 
			  Simon Callow CBE 
			  Marilyn Cutts 
			  Sam Shrouder 
			   
			 UK Film Council Andrew Eaton 
			  Alison Owen 
			  Marc Samuelson 
			  Iain Smith 
			  David Sproxton 
			  Stewart Till 
			   
			 Victoria and Albert Museum Betty Jackson 
			  Samir Shah OBE 
			   
			 VisitBritain Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge

Regional Casinos

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for how long the first regional casino will be open before she assesses its impact.

Richard Caborn: The Government will ask the Gambling Commission to advise on the impact of the one regional, eight large and eight small casinos permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 no earlier than three years after the award of the first premises licence.

Television Signal

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of (a) people and (b) households in (i) Kingston and Surbiton constituency and (ii) London can receive analogue but not digital television signals.

James Purnell: The vast majority of households in the UK can, with the appropriate equipment, receive digital television services via at least one of digital satellite, digital terrestrial, cable or DSL broadband.
	We do not have a breakdown of coverage by constituency or town but the Government are committed to ensuring that at digital switchover everyone in the UK who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Five) can receive them on digital systems.

Tri-nations Rugby League

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether (a) she and (b) the Minister for Sport intends to attend one of the forthcoming Tri-Nations rugby league matches.

Richard Caborn: I hope to attend the Final in Leeds on 26 November, subject to diary commitments, but my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State is unable to attend any of the forthcoming Tri-Nations rugby league matches.

Wembley Stadium

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress being made with the new Wembley stadium; and when she expects it to be open for sporting events.

Richard Caborn: Wembley National Stadium Ltd and the Football Association are working towards hosting the 2006 FA cup final at Wembley.
	This is an extremely complex project that will ensure that Wembley remains one of the world's great sporting venues and a fitting stadium for football in the 21st century.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Burma

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK position is on the proposed United Nations Security Council resolution that would require the regime in Burma to work with the United Nations to restore democracy to Burma and release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all prisoners of conscience; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The UK supports any action in the UN Security Council which would help to promote reform and positive change in Burma.
	The UK remains deeply concerned about the political and human rights situation in Burma. The UK has been at the forefront of all efforts over many years to bring pressure to bear on the military regime to reform and respect human rights. We fully support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to Burma, Tan Sri Razali Ismail, and the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights, Sergio Pinheiro, and call on Burma's military regime to co-operate fully with them, and to allow them full access to Burma.
	We regularly raise our concerns about the continued detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and all other prisoners of conscience in Burma with the military regime, most recently on 26 October, when our ambassador in Rangoon met the Burmese Home Minister, Major General Maung Oo.
	We look forward to the immediate release of all political detainees without condition, in order to enable the participation of all social and political forces in the reconciliation process.

Congo

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the recent violence in the Walungu territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian Pearson: Areas of instability remain in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. In Ituri and the Kivus, the security situation remains fragile, with civilians continuing to suffer abuses by armed groups.
	We were appalled by the recent atrocities against civilians in South Kivu, including those committed near Walungu, which have been attributed to hard-line elements of the Rwandan Hutu rebel group, the Forces Democratiques de Libe"ration du Rwanda (FDLR).
	We support the UN peacekeeping mission's robust approach to protecting civilians and tackling armed groups in Ituri, which they are beginning to replicate in the Kivus. Despite these efforts to disrupt the activities of the FDLR, the FDLR continues to persecute civilians. We have urged regional governments to work together to disarm these groups.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people in his Department (a) were relocated in 2004–05 and (b) are expected to be relocated in 2005–06 following the Lyons review; where they have been relocated; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: 31 posts were relocated from London in 2004–05. 11 went to Hanslope Park and 20 were functions redistributed to overseas posts.
	In 2005–06 we expect to relocate 30 human resources posts from London to Hanslope Park. Over 85 per cent. of the jobs will be filled locally.

Departmental Staff

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalent employee reductions as a result of the Gershon review have been made; what (a) cost savings relating to IT projects and (b) total value of efficiency savings (i) were achieved in 2004–05 and (ii) are expected to be achieved in 2005–06; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 28 October 2005, Official Report, column 635W, on the progress of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's efficiency programme.
	In 2004–05 efficiency savings of £0.2 million were due to IT projects. In 2005–06 we expect £3.9 million of savings attributable to better IT.

Director of the Americas

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when a decision will be made on the appointment of his Department's Director of the Americas.

Jack Straw: An appointment will be confirmed very shortly.

Ethiopia/Eritrea

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation on the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Ian Pearson: We are gravely concerned at the decision of the Government of Eritrea on 4 October to prohibit United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) helicopter flights and at additional restrictions imposed since then on the operations of UNMEE. We have urged the Government of Eritrea to remove these restrictions immediately.
	We fully support the UN Security Council Presidential statement calling on Eritrea to immediately reverse its decision. We also call on both parties to implement completely and without further delay the decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission and to create the necessary conditions for demarcation of their border to proceed.

EU Committees

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the European Union committees for which non-civil service nominations are made by the Government.

Douglas Alexander: The principal European Union committees established under the treaties to which the Government nominate individuals who are not members of the civil service are the European Economic and Social Committee and the EU Committee of the Regions. Both have a consultative role, advising the other institutions on a range of matters in their respective fields of competence. There are many working level committees under the comitology management procedures which contain member state experts who may not be civil servants.

EU Committees

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the UK members of the (a) European Economic and Social Committee, (b) Committee of the Regions and (c) European Social Fund Committee since May 1997; and for what reason each was nominated.

Douglas Alexander: I have made lists of the UK members of these committees available in the Library of the House. In the case of the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, the lists cover the period since 1997, but for the European Social Fund Committee only a list of current members is readily available. I will make a list of previous members of that Committee available in the Library as soon as possible. The civil servants who are members of the European Social Fund Committee are not listed, in accordance with established practice.
	UK members of the employers' and trade unions' groups of the Economic and Social Committee (EESC) are nominated by the Department of Trade and Industry, and members of the other interests" (wider civil society) group are nominated by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, following consultation by both Departments with relevant civil society groups. In accordance with the EESC's purpose, candidates are chosen for their ability to represent the interests of UK civil society in the European Union.
	UK members of the Committee of the Regions (CoR) are nominated after consultation with local authorities, and with the devolved Administrations. In accordance with the CoR's purpose, they are chosen for their ability to represent the interests of the UK's regions in the European Union. Like all CoR members, they must hold an elected mandate at local or regional level.
	My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and the Prime Minister approve the overall composition of the UK delegations to both committees, and take into account the candidates' level of expertise in their respective fields, as well as the UK delegations' overall balance, particularly with regard to their regional, political, ethnic and gender composition.
	UK members of the European Social Fund Committee are nominated by the Department of Work and Pensions, the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress. Each of these nominates two full members and one alternate, and chooses its representatives on the basis of their competence in the questions with which the committee deals under its mandate, which is to advise the Commission on the administration of the European Social Fund.

EU Press Officers

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many press officers are employed by the European Union; and at what cost.

Douglas Alexander: The number of press officers employed by the principal bodies of the European Union fluctuates. Currently, the Council Secretariat employs 13, the Commission 27, the Parliament 53, including 20 in the Parliament's information offices in the member states, the Court of Justice eight, including the head of press service, the court of auditors one, and the European ombudsman one. The EU's advisory bodies, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, employ one and two respectively. The member states of the council also, of course, employ their own press officers.
	It has not been possible to determine the cost of all of these positions, as they could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

European Commission (Staff)

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK nationals serve (a) in the Cabinets and (b) in senior posts in each Directorate General of the European Commission; and what proportion of the number of relevant posts this represents in each case.

Douglas Alexander: In the Cabinets of the 25 Commissioners there are three British Heads of Cabinet, three British Deputy Heads and 17 British administrative grade members, about 12 per cent. of the total.
	Of the 281 posts in the Commission at Director General, Deputy Director General and Director level, 38 (13.5 per cent.) are British. Of the most senior jobs, Director General and Deputy Director General level, seven out of 53 (13.2 per cent.) are British, including the Directors General of Directorate General (DG) Competition, DG Freedom, Security and Justice, DG Regional Policy and DG Health and Consumer Affairs and the Deputy Directors General of DG Budget, DG External Relations and DG Development.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether Her Majesty the Queen plans to visit Gibraltar in 2007.

Jack Straw: I refer to the reply I gave the hon. Member on 12 July 2004, Official Report, column 967W. This remains the situation.

Gibraltar

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar.

Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not held any direct discussions with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana, this year. However, I had talks with Mr. Caruna on 21 July. Mr. Caruna has also had regular meetings with senior officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on various issues.

Iran

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the United Nations Security Council to give greater power to the UN investigation team to determine whether Iran is attempting to build an atomic bomb.

Kim Howells: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is the responsible authority, under UN mandate, with the power to investigate outstanding questions in relation to the implementation of safeguards agreements under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation treaty to which Iran is party. It is because Iran's nuclear programme remains of serious concern to the international community that the IAEA are continuing their investigations, and will report their findings accordingly.

Iran

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will impose a full economic embargo on the Iranian regime until such time as it halts its progress on building an atomic bomb.

Kim Howells: The UK remains committed to working with its international partners for a diplomatic solution that provides objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme is for solely peaceful purposes. The UK continues to urge Iran to meet promptly, and in full, the requests made by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, and to return to talks with the E3/EU on the basis of the Paris Agreement. The IAEA Board of Governors resolution of 24 September found Iran non-compliant with its safeguards obligations, which under the IAEA Statute will require the Director-General to make a report to the UN Security Council at some point. The members of the Security Council should then decide what action is appropriate. We have made clear to Iran that it can by its actions influence the timing of any report to the Security Council and the climate in which it is received.

Iran

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with Iran about its nuclear programme; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary, last met his Iranian counterpart, Manoucher Mottaki, at United Nations General Assembly in New York on 21 September. The Foreign Secretary made clear his disappointment at Iran's public rejection of the E3/EU proposals and that Iran's resumption of uranium conversion was contrary to the requests of successive International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board resolutions and in violation of the 2004 Paris Agreement. The Foreign Secretary urged Iran to reinstate the suspension, meet promptly and in full the requests of the IAEA Board of Governors and return to talks with the E3/EU on the basis of the Paris Agreement.

Irish Regiments (Posthumous Pardons)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received a formal request from the Irish Government to consider granting posthumous pardons in respect of 26 soldiers of Irish regiments executed in the great war for cowardice and desertion; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Foreign Minister of Ireland, Dermot Ahern, submitted his request to my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 26 October 2004.

Irish Regiments (Posthumous Pardons)

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to respond to the Irish Government's request that the Government consider granting posthumous pardons in respect of 26 soldiers of Irish regiments executed in the great war for cowardice and desertion; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary responded to the Irish Foreign Minister, Dermot Ahern's request on 16 November 2004, explaining that the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence and that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence (John Reid) would respond after due consideration.

Kyrgyzstan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings have taken place since 6 July between British and Kyrgyz officials to discuss the situation of remaining Uzbek refugees in Kyrgyzstan.

Douglas Alexander: Since 6 July, the UK and the EU have remained fully engaged on the situation regarding the remaining Uzbek refugees in Krygyzstan. Our Ambassador visited the refugee camp in Jalalabad, Kyrgyzstan on 6 July and met the Governor of the Jalalabad region. He followed that up with a meeting on 7 July with the then Kyrgyz Foreign Minister, Otunbaeva. As presidency of the EU, on 27 July we asked the Germans, as the local presidency in Bishkek, to demarche the Kyrgyz authorities on the welfare and fate of the refugees.
	On 29 July, the EU issued a statement welcoming the departure of 439 of the refugees from Kyrgyzstan. On 4 August, my hon. Friend, the Minister for State for Trade for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Ian Pearson) called the Deputy Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan. My hon. Friend reaffirmed the EU's appreciation for the role played by the Kyrgyz authorities in the onward transit of the 439 refugees, and re-emphasised the importance of the remaining 15 refugees being treated in accordance with international conventions. Our Charge d'Affaires spoke to the then Foreign Minister, Otunbaeva and her deputy on the same issue on 14–15 August.
	On 21 September, as presidency of the EU, we issued a further statement welcoming the departure from Kyrgyzstan of 11 of the remaining refugees, but again noting the importance of the remaining four being treated in accordance with international treaties. This message was repeated at the Sixth EU-Kyrgyzstan Co-operation Committee in Brussels on 27 September.
	Throughout this period our Embassy has been in close contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Our Ambassador last met Prime Minister Kulov on 28 September. We will continue to remain engaged on this issue for as long as any of the refugees remain in Kyrgyzstan.

South Atlantic (Icebreaking Vessels)

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application of EU legislation on icebreaking capabilities of UK vessels in the South Atlantic.

Ian Pearson: The EU has not passed legislation concerning the icebreaking capabilities for vessels, whether in the South Atlantic or elsewhere.
	The United Nations' International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has issued Arctic Guidelines for vessels operating in the regions north of 60 degrees north. These guidelines include constructional, navigational and equipment standards. There are plans to extend these guidelines to the South Atlantic but this is unlikely to be finalised before 2008.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he plans to make to the recent call by the Secretary General of the United Nations for increased international action concerning Darfur.

Ian Pearson: As my hon. Friend will know, the UK has been at the forefront of international action concerning Darfur. My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa visited Sudan, including Darfur, on 5–8 October and participated in the EU Troika's meetings with senior Sudanese officials. We have provided expert assistance to the Abuja Peace talks and are willing to provide more. We have already provided almost £32 million for the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), fully supported the African Union request for securing a further contribution of £70 million from the European Commission, bringing the total EU contribution to AMIS to €162 million. We are exploring all practical steps to ensure that AMIS has access to the military equipment donated to the mission to ensure it can operate effectively. The UK has provided £92 million in humanitarian aid to Darfur since September 2003, and we are calling for others to do more. We continue to work with international partners, including in our role as presidency of the EU, to ensure that the international community is taking full action on Darfur. To this end, we hosted a meeting for key international partners on 1 November in London.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what protective measures have been put in place for the operations of non-governmental organisations in Darfur.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	The UK has provided the United Nations Department of Safety and Security (UNDSS) with funding to support its field security co-ordination structure in Darfur. Following pressure from the UK, the UNDSS has deployed eight field security co-ordination officers in Darfur. The UNDSS has worked closely with NGOs and established reporting mechanisms in each Darfur state to relay timely security information. It provides a dedicated 24-hour VHF radio channel to receive and respond to emergency calls from NGOs operating in Darfur and also holds regular security briefings. Given the current security situation, we are working closely with the UNDSS to improve the effectiveness of their operations.
	In addition, we have provided funding to the NGO Red-R to train humanitarian NGOs in Darfur in security skills, procedures and practice. Red-R is providing Darfur specific programmes, including pre-deployment training, in-country safety workshops and driver training.
	The African Union (AU) Mission also has a vital role to play and we have provided £32 million towards its expansion. There is no doubt that where it is deployed it is having a positive impact on security and it has also offered to escort humanitarian convoys. However, the situation remains difficult.

Tashkent

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings HM Ambassador in Tashkent has had with (a) President Karimov and (b) Foreign Minister Ganiev since he presented his credentials on 8 June.

Douglas Alexander: Our Ambassador, David Moran, has not met President Karimov since their long meeting during the presentation of his credentials. He last met Foreign Minister Ganiev on 5 October and has been in regular contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He called on the First Deputy Foreign Minister on 20 June, 29 July and 26 October. He also called on the Minister of Internal Affairs on 23 June, the Minister of Justice on 8 July and the First Deputy Prime Minister on 22 July.

Tonga

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the government of Tonga in support of a more democratic constitution.

Ian Pearson: The UK has made numerous representations to the Tongan authorities on a wide range of good governance and human rights issues. The high commissioner in Tonga has maintained a regular dialogue with Members of the Tongan Royal Family, Government Ministers, Nobles and Peoples MPs and encouraged the introduction of political and democratic reforms. Working with other partners, we have also encouraged the restoration of freedom of expression and of the press, and the selection of some Cabinet Members from elected MPs.

UN Arms Conference

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK's goals for the UN arms conference in 2006.

Kim Howells: The Review Conference of the UN Programme of Action (UN PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons takes place in New York in July 2006. The UK's aims, in co-operation with other members of the international community, are to build support for adoption of minimum common criteria for controls on transfers including the import, export and transhipment of Small Arms and Light Weapons; and to secure agreement on further work under the UN PoA on the issue of transfer controls. Overall, our ideal outcome for the Review Conference is an extension, without reopening it, of the UN PoA mandate; this will facilitate a more effective response to illicit transfers of small arms and light weapons.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits HM Ambassador to Uzbekistan has made to the city of Andijan since 1 August.

Douglas Alexander: Her Majesty's Ambassador has made several visits to Andizhan since the events of 13 May. He has not made any further visits been there since 1 August. Other members of the Embassy staff have visited three times since then, and the Embassy has also had regular briefings from other visitors to the region.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of (a) the strength and activities of the Islamic Jihad Union in Uzbekistan and (b) the level of threat that organisation poses to UK security and interests.

Douglas Alexander: The Islamic Jihad Union (IJU) publicly claimed responsibility for a series of attacks that occurred in Tashkent and Bukhara in March/April 2004. They have also publicly claimed responsibility for mounting suicide attacks against the American and Israeli Embassies in Tashkent in July 2004. It is not our policy to provide intelligence available on groups that have been proscribed in the UK, but we assess that IJU poses a threat to Western interests in Uzbekistan.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether UK diplomats have observed the work of the Uzbek parliamentary commission investigating the events in Andijan on 13 May.

Douglas Alexander: We have not been part of the official diplomatic team observing the work of the Uzbek parliamentary committee, but we have monitored its activities. We and our EU partners have continued to call for an independent international investigation.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any meetings have been held under the EU Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with Uzbek government representations since 13 May.

Douglas Alexander: No.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to inquire into the well-being of the Uzbek dissident Saidjahon Zainabitdinov since his detention on 21 May on charges of terrorism.

Douglas Alexander: Following the events in Andizhan of 12–13 May 2005, we have been extremely concerned by reports of the arrest and harassment of eyewitnesses, independent journalists and human rights activists. On 1 June, our Ambassador raised these concerns at a meeting between EU Ambassadors and Foreign Minister Ganiev.
	Our Embassy delivered notes to the Uzbek authorities in May, June and August, registering our concern at the arrest of Saidjahon Zainabitdinov, the head of the 'Appeal' human rights NGO. Our Ambassador, David Moran, has also made regular representations with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at ministerial and official level. EU presidency statements on 20 September and 19 and 26 October reiterated our concerns at the treatment of human rights activists and others since the Andizhan events. We continue to urge the Uzbek Government to respect their wider international commitments to democracy, the rule of law and human rights.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to secure international observers at the trial of the Andijan demonstrators understood to be taking place in Uzbekistan.

Douglas Alexander: At the beginning of the trial on 20 September, the UK, as presidency of the EU, issued a statement calling on the Uzbek government to conduct the trials in line with international norms and standards and to allow members of the international community to observe them. UK officials were present at the trials from the start and we agreed with EU colleagues to ensure an EU presence every day at the trial. This is on-going.
	The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe have expressed concern to the Uzbek authorities about the extent of access that their monitors at the trial have been allowed. Our Ambassador and his deputy raised the question of full access for international observers and diplomats with First Deputy Foreign Ministers Nematov and Mustafayev in September and October.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to determine the (a) whereabouts and (b) well-being of the Uzbek refugees from the Andijan massacre (i) Dilshod Khajiev, (ii) Tavakal Khajiev, (iii) Hasan Shakirov and (iv) Mukhammad Kadirov.

Douglas Alexander: Since the events of 12–13 May in Andizhan, our Ambassador and his team in Tashkent have continued to co-operate closely with the OSCE and a range of human rights bodies including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Committee for the Red Cross. This has also been the case with the four refugees illegally returned from Kyrgyzstan on 9 June. We have also been in regular contact with the UNHCR in Geneva.
	On 23 August, the Uzbek Procurator General's Office issued a statement stating that all four remained in custody and that they would all be charged with crimes directly related to their involvement in the May events in Andizhan, including the execution of hostages and civilians. None of the four are among the fifteen currently standing trial in Tashkent for their alleged involvement in events in Andizhan.
	The Uzbek Procurator General's Office has categorically denied rumours that one of the four, Hasan Shakirov, has died in custody as a result of being tortured. But as yet neither we nor, it appears, any international body has been granted access to them.

Uzbekistan

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 20 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1777–8W, on Uzbekistan, what further steps he has taken to secure the Uzbek government's compliance with the call by the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 13 June to investigate the unrest in Uzbekistan.

Douglas Alexander: Following the measures referred to in the answer I gave the hon. Member on 20 July 2005, Official Report, columns 1777–1778W, the UK, as presidency of the European Union, played a lead role in preparations for the visit to Uzbekistan on 8–9 September of Mr. Jan Kubis, the EU's newly appointed Special Representative for Central Asia. In the light of Uzbekistan's continued failure to respond to requests for an independent inquiry, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary chaired a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers at the EUs General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) on 3 October, which agreed to suspend indefinitely all scheduled technical meetings under the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement, to adopt an arms embargo to cover exports to Uzbekistan of arms, military equipment and other equipment that might be used for internal repression, and to restrict admission to the European Union of those individuals directly responsible for the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force in Andizhan. In addition, the European Commission's funding programme for Uzbekistan worth €9.2 million in 2005–06, has been re-oriented in order to support increased focus on poverty reduction, and the promotion of democracy, human rights and civil society.
	These measures will be implemented for an initial period of one year. But they will be kept under review in the light of any subsequent international inquiry, the co-operation or otherwise of the Uzbeks with such an enquiry and the conduct of the on-going trials.
	In accordance with the 3 October statement by the GAERC, the UK, along with the rest of the EU and other like-minded partners, is continuing to explore other relevant mechanisms within the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the UN that may help secure independent inquiry by external experts. The UK and the rest of the EU continues to urge the Uzbek authorities to allow and co-operate with such an inquiry.

Western Sahara

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has held with the United Nations on a referendum on the future of Western Sahara; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The UK supports the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and his new Personal Envoy to Western Sahara, Peter van Walsum, to find a just, lasting and mutually acceptable solution to the Western Sahara dispute. UK officials in New York are in daily contact with the UN and representatives of the parties to the dispute.
	On 28 October the UN Security Council unanimously adopted UNSCR 1634 which renewed the mandate for the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). The Government supported this. There are, however, no plans for a UN referendum to be held in the near future.

World Trade Organisation

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had in advance of December's World Trade Organisation talks; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: A successful, pro-development outcome to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference in Hong Kong in December is a UK presidency priority. My Department and other relevant Government Departments are taking every opportunity to discuss the WTO Round with our EU partners, the European Commission and other WTO members and stakeholders. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary chaired a discussion on this issue at a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers on 18 October, which I attended. The issue was also discussed by EU Development Ministers on 24 October and EU Agriculture Ministers on 25 October. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade discussed the WTO Round with key players during a recent visit to Geneva.
	These included the Indian and Australian Trade Ministers and the WTO Director General. The WTO Round will also be discussed at the informal meeting of EU Trade Ministers on 21 November.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Departmental Spending

Phyllis Starkey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much funding was allocated by his Department to Milton Keynes for (i) capital projects and (ii) revenue funding in each of the last five years.

Alun Michael: The South East England Development Agency has allocated £3,418,633 in the Milton Keynes area on behalf of the Department during the last five years. This consists of £1,304,765 of Capital and £2,113,868 of Revenue funding and was allocated as follows:
	
		£
		
			  Capital Revenue 
		
		
			 2000–01   
			 Wolverton Works & Symbiosis (SRB scheme) 204,629 44,341 
			 Total 204,629 44,341 
			
			 2001–02   
			 New Start for Netherfield (SRB scheme) 5,000 20,660 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 50,000 
			 Total 5,000 70,660 
			
			 2002–03   
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) 75,000 321,601 
			 New Start for Netherfield (SRB scheme) — 5,816 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 50,000 
			 Total 75,000 377,417 
			 2003–04   
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Hubs — 40,000 
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) 100,076 317,768 
			 Developing an Economic Vision for Milton Keynes — 119,648 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 95,000 
			 Wolverton Works & Symbiosis (SRB scheme) 328,399 — 
			 Oxford to Cambridge Arc — 70,000 
			 Total 428,475 642,416 
			
			 2004–05   
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Hubs — 84,000 
			 Wolverton Feasibility Study 30,000 — 
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) 40,895 245,359 
			 Developing an Economic Vision for Milton Keynes — 7,817 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 85,000 
			 Hatchery—Milton Keynes Hub 9,476 — 
			 R & D Grant—Morgana Systems Ltd. 54,809 — 
			 Oxford to Cambridge Arc — 70,000 
			 Total 135,180 492,176 
			
			 2005–06   
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Hubs 147,481 — 
			 Milton Keynes Area Programme 125,000 175,000 
			 Spotlight on Bletchley (SRB scheme) — 216,708 
			 SRT Bucks/MK Co-ordinator — 1,980 
			 PT 2005–06 3 Parishes Bus Link — 296 
			 RTF 05–06 Bucks & MK RTPO  4,124 
			 Core funding—Milton Keynes Economic Partnership — 75,000 
			 Milton Keynes Enterprise Gateway 55,000 — 
			 Hatchery—Milton Keynes Hub 41,000 — 
			 Stoney Stratford Project Manager — 3,750 
			 CUE Architecture Centre (Milton Keynes) — 10,000 
			 Oxford to Cambridge Arc 88,000 — 
			 Total 456,481 486,858 
			
			 Total all years 1,304,765 2,113,868 
			
			 Capital and Revenue spend total 3,418,633

Development Agencies

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list each event at which the East of England Development Agency spent money on (a) hospitality and (b) corporate entertainment in the last three years; and what was the expenditure at each event.

Alun Michael: The full information could be provided only at disproportionate cost as the information requested is not quickly accessible in this format. However, I can provide the following data detailing the East of England Development Agency's spending on some significant and worthwhile corporate events for the year 2004–05.
	I would draw attention to the fact that in 2003 EEDA launched an international competition calling for ideas and designs for a landmark or series of landmarks to create a regional identity for the East of England and represent it to the rest of the world. As part of the competition they held a series of public events in each county in the region that showcased over 230 entries from around the world.
	
		
			   Date   Event Total cost including VAT (£) 
		
		
			 30 April 2004 Summit with regional economic partners 3,854.96 
			 29 November 2004 Annual General Meeting 14,456.45 
			 January 2005 Dance East 1,000.00 
			 15–16 March 2005 Sustainable Development Commission visit 1,538.50 
			 17–18 June 2004 Space for Ideas—Synapse Event 3,008.00 
			 7 July 2004 Ideas Talk—Edward de Bono at University of Hertfordshire 8,000.00 
			 23 March 2005 Space for Ideas—Synapse Event 2 4,700.00 
			 7 September 2004 Landmark event Cambridge 11,578 
			 9–12 September 2004 Landmark event—Norwich 8,512 
			 16–19 September 2004 Landmark event—Cambridge 5,675 
			 15–17 October 2004 Landmark event—Essex 8,606 
			 November 2004 Landmark dinner 3,131 
			 February 2005 Landmark event—Suffolk 2,000

Equity Finance

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on the public subsidy of local stock or business exchanges to raise equity finance, with particular reference to regional development agencies.

Alun Michael: Government and Regional Development Agencies are working together to improve the access that small businesses have to equity finance. In doing, so the Government and RDAs will operate within the State Aid rules.

Flexible Working

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote flexible working for those with (a) caring and (b) family responsibility; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Many employers recognise the benefits of flexible working and almost a quarter of employees work through some form of flexible working arrangement. The Government encourages flexible working by promoting the benefits and sharing best practice. We have developed tailored guidance and ACAS have developed a web-based interactive tool, which includes a free online training module.
	In April 2003 we introduced the right to request flexible working for parents of children under 6 and disabled children under 18. This legislation has been a tremendous success, with almost a quarter (22 per cent.) of parents with children under 6 requesting to work flexibly since the legislation was introduced and around 90 per cent. of requests accepted.
	Building on this success, the recently introduced Work and Families Bill will seek to extend the scope of the existing law to include carers of adults, a group who face particular challenges in juggling their caring responsibilities with work. We will be consulting on the detail of exactly which carers will be covered by the legislation in early 2006.

London Skills Partnership

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the main achievements of the London Skills Partnership.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Education and Skills on 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 216W.

Office of Fair Trading

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what criteria he uses when determining whether to intervene in a matter being reviewed by the Office of Fair Trading.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government's long established policy has been to remove itself from substantive decisions about the application of competition law. It is for the relevant independent competition authorities to consider individual competition cases. This policy is reflected in the UK's competition legislation. Where Ministers do retain statutory powers and responsibilities, these may be used in accordance with the relevant applicable law. For example, the scope for Ministers to refer a market to the Competition Commission is defined in Section 132 of the Enterprise Act 2002.

Postcodes

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Post Office's proposals to charge local authorities and other users to use postcodes.

Barry Gardiner: Statutory obligations relating to the management of the Postcode Address File" are defined under Section 116 of the Postal Services Act 2000, which states that the File can be made available to any person who wishes to use it on such terms as are reasonable". This obligation is specifically governed under Condition 20 of Royal Mail's licence issued by Postcomm which states that the company shall furnish a copy of the File to any person who may request it upon payment of a reasonable charge".
	Specific proposals relating to the management of the File are the direct responsibility of the company. I have therefore asked Adam Crozier, the Chief Executive of Royal Mail, to provide a direct reply to the hon. Member.

Small Business Service

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses have consulted the Small Business Service in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: The first port of call for anyone wanting help to start a business or to obtain other help as a business is the local Business Link. Business Link is the national brand" and is delivered locally. As from April 2005 oversight of the local Business Link operators lies with each Regional Development Agency on behalf of the DTI's Small Business Service.
	The following table shows the numbers of customers helped by Business Link operators, per year, since 2001–02. It shows both the number of existing businesses that have been helped by the Business Link Operators and also the total number of customers helped. The total number of customers includes those customers thinking of, or in the process of, starting a business (pre-starts). However, pre-starts are not available as an annual figure prior to 2003–04.
	
		
			  Number of businesses helped Total number of customers helped(16) 
		
		
			 2001–02 245,342 245,342 
			 2002–03 309,680 309,680 
			 2003–04 435,293 605,937 
			 2004–05 492,496 666,237 
			 12 months ending June 2005 500,935 668,392 
		
	
	(16) Including those individuals thinking of, or in the process of starting a business.
	Source:
	Business Link Operator Management Information Returns.
	The role of the Small Business Service itself is to lead on small business issues across government, working to inform and influence policymakers and those who provide business support. It is leading work to spell out what is involved in the Business Link Brand" and the services or routes to service that can be expected by anyone who contacts a Business Link anywhere in the country which I hope to publish soon.
	The Small Business Service has few direct enquiries from small businesses themselves, although it has very close relationships with the small business representative bodies as well as RDAs and many others.

Telephone Services (Charging)

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will ask Ofcom to investigate the practices of the companies Telecom Billing Services and Persolvo Debt Collection with regard to charging for telephone services.

Alun Michael: My officials have drawn this issue to Ofcom's attention. Ofcom is aware of the services being offered by Telecom Billing Services Ltd. but has previously been of the view that it has no direct regulatory powers over these services. However Ofcom is, in the process of reviewing this position in order to identify whether it may have the power to take action, in certain circumstances.
	The OFT, and other enforcers including Trading Standards and Ofcom, have powers under part 8 of the Enterprise Act 2002 to seek assurances from traders (including debt collectors like Persolvo) who consistently infringe a wide range of consumer protection legislation, that they will stop doing so. If traders continue to break the law they will face a fine and/or imprisonment.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Acceptable Behaviour Contracts

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many acceptable behaviour contracts have been issued in each police force; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Data on numbers of ABCs are not collected centrally. ABCs are voluntary agreements and therefore unsuitable for central data collection.
	A recent survey carried out by the Home Office and sent to all CDRPs indicated that 5383 ABCs were made between October 2003 and September 2004.

Airsoft Weapons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the Violent Crimes Reduction Bill on the sport of airsoft in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: We are considering whether it would be appropriate and possible for the sport of airsoft to be exempted from the provisions of the Bill without undermining its main purpose. Under the provisions of the Bill as currently drafted, participants will still be able to use their existing guns and will be able to buy any airsoft which is not so realistic as to make it indistinguishable from a real firearm.

Alcohol-related Violence

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to tackle alcohol-related violence; and how many incidents of alcohol-related violence took place in each of the last three years in (a) England and Wales, (b) Northumbria police force area and (c) Wansbeck constituency.

Hazel Blears: The Government take alcohol-related crime and disorder extremely seriously. That is why we introduced the Violent Crime Reduction Bill on 8 June 2005 which proposes a new package of measures to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence. The proposals, which are based on those outlined in the consultation document 'Drinking Responsibly' which was published on 21 January 2005, include: a new power for the police and local authorities to designate alcohol disorder zones in areas with a significant problem; a new drinking banning order which would exclude individuals responsible for alcohol-related disorder from certain areas and licensed premises; a new power for the police to ban the sale of alcohol at licensed premises for up to 48 hours if they persistently sell to under 18s; and a new power for the police to exclude individuals at risk of carrying out alcohol-related disorder from a specific area for up to 48 hours.
	These new powers build on the range of measures already available to the police and licensing authorities to tackle alcohol-related crime and disorder. They seek to balance a recognition of the collective responsibility that the alcohol trade should take for addressing some of these problems with a continued emphasis on the responsibility of the individual drinker or premise.
	The Home Office collates National Statistics on recorded crime including offences of violence. These statistics are available for police force area and crime and disorder partnership (CDRP). Wansbeck CDRP covers the parliamentary constituency of Wansbeck but respective boundaries may not be coterminous. Statistics are also available at basic command unit level but are not comparable for the years specified due to boundary changes in Northumbria police force. In the last three years, the number of violent offences recorded by the police are set out in the table.
	It is not possible to determine from these National Statistics whether these offences are alcohol related. However a national estimate is provided by the British Crime Survey of the proportion of violent offences where the victim perceived the offender to be under the influence of alcohol. This is also detailed in the table.
	
		
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 England and Wales 834,927 955,752 1,035,046 
			 Northumbria 25,171 24,798 22,858 
			 Wansbeck (CDRP) 1,005 1,060 1,032 
			 
			 Percentage under influence of drink for violent offences in England and Wales 44 50 48

Animal Rights Extremists

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations the Government has received on controls on animal rights extremists who target scientists, medical testing suppliers and their families.

Paul Goggins: Tackling harassment and intimidation by animal rights extremists is a key priority for the Government. We are committed to ensuring that vital and potentially life saving research is able to continue and will protect those who are involved in the use of animals in research either directly, indirectly through the supply chain or by association.
	We have regular discussions with those who are targeted by animal rights extremists including representatives from industry and academia. This is a key part of the process of ensuring that we take the most effective action to address animal rights extremism.

Antisocial Behaviour

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list measures introduced to tackle antisocial behaviour since 1997; and how frequently each measure has been used in each region (a) in total and (b) per 100,000 population.

Hazel Blears: Antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and have been available since April 1999. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 put in place a range of measures to tackle antisocial behaviour and gave local agencies the tools they need to tackle antisocial behaviour on the ground.
	Key measures in the Act include:
	Powers to close premises where drugs are used unlawfully
	Powers enabling social landlords to take action against antisocial tenants
	A package of support and sanctions to enable parents to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour among children
	Powers to allow police officers to disperse groups of people who are causing nuisance or intimidating others
	Powers for environmental health officers to close noisy premises
	Powers to tackle graffiti and fly-posting.
	The Housing Act 2004, introduced by ODPM, also contained important measures to enable landlords to tackle antisocial behaviour.
	Data covering all measures are not available in the form requested. However, a one-off snapshot survey of the take up of antisocial behaviour powers was carried out in September 2004 and published in October 2004 in the Together One-Year On" report. This survey of antisocial behaviour co-ordinators in Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships provided an estimate of use of powers over a 12 month period. The results of the survey, based on responses from 239 antisocial behaviour co-ordinators, found that:
	158 crack house closure orders were made between January and September 2004
	418 dispersal orders were made between January and September 2004
	824 parenting contracts and orders were made between October 2003 and September 2004
	5,383 acceptable behaviour contracts were made between October 2000 and September 2004.
	Data showing the number of ASBOs issued by all courts are shown in the table. Latest data are up to December 2004.
	
		Total number of ASBOs issued up to 31 December 2004 as a proportion of the population as at 30 June 2004, by region
		
			 Regions Total ASBOs issued(17) Population as at 30 June 2004(18) (age 10 or over) Rate per 100,000 population 
		
		
			 North East 201 2,263,408 9 
			 North West 1,168 6,031,248 19 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 615 4,449,206 14 
			 East Midland 263 3,790,438 7 
			 West Midlands 651 4,692,163 14 
			 East 369 4,838,909 8 
			 Greater London 448 6,503,148 7 
			 South East 471 7,159,572 7 
			 South West 297 4,488,637 7 
			 Wales 166 2,615,071 6 
			 England and Wales 4,649 46,831,800 10 
		
	
	1 As reported to the Home Office
	(17) Source: ONS.

Antisocial Behaviour

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Greater London in each month since April 1999, broken down by borough.

Hazel Blears: The readily available information is by quarter and is given in the table.
	
		The number of ASBOs issued at all courts, as reported to the Home Office, where restrictions are imposed within Greater London local government authority areas, by period, 1 June 2000(18) to 31 December 2004 (latest available).
		
			  Period 
			  June to December 2000 2001 
			 Area June July-September October-December January-March April-June July-September October-December 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham — — — — — — — 
			 Barnet — — — — 2 — — 
			 Bexley — 2 — — — — — 
			 Brent — — — — — — — 
			 Bromley — — 1 — — — — 
			 Camden — 1 4 — — — 1 
			 City of London — — — — — — — 
			 Croydon — — 1 — — — — 
			 Ealing — — — — — — — 
			 Enfield — — — — — — — 
			 Greenwich — — — — — 3 — 
			 Hackney — — — — — 1 — 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham — — — 2 — — — 
			 Haringey — — — — — — — 
			 Harrow — — — — — — — 
			 Havering — — — — — — — 
			 Hillingdon — — — — — — — 
			 Hounslow — — — — — — — 
			 Islington — — — — — — — 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough — — — — — — — 
			 Kingston-on-Thames — — — — — — — 
			 Lambeth — 1 — — — — — 
			 Lewisham — — — — 2 — — 
			 Merton — — — — — — — 
			 Newham — — — 2 — — — 
			 Richmond upon Thames — — — — — — — 
			 Southwark — — — — — — — 
			 Sutton — — 3 — — — — 
			 Tower Hamlets — — — — — — — 
			 Waltham Forest — — — — — — — 
			 Wandsworth — — — — — — — 
			 Westminster — 6 — — — — — 
			 Greater London — 10 9 4 4 4 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Period 
			  2002 2003 
			 Area January-March April-June July-September October-December January-March April-June July-September 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham — — —  — — — 
			 Barnet — — — — — — 1 
			 Bexley — — — 6 1 2 1 
			 Brent — — — — — — 7 
			 Bromley — — — —— — — 2 
			 Camden 3 — 1 6 2 10 1 
			 City of London — — — — — — — 
			 Croydon — — — — — — 2 
			 Ealing — — — — — — — 
			 Enfield — — — — — — — 
			 Greenwich — — — — — — — 
			 Hackney — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham — — — — — — — 
			 Haringey — — — — — — — 
			 Harrow — — — — — — — 
			 Havering — — — — — — — 
			 Hillingdon — — — — — — — 
			 Hounslow — — — — — 1 2 
			 Islington — — — — 1 1 4 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough — — — — — — 1 
			 Kingston-on-Thames — — — — — 2 — 
			 Lambeth — — — — — — — 
			 Lewisham — — — — — — 2 
			 Merton 1 — — — 1 — 1 
			 Newham — — — — — — — 
			 Richmond upon Thames — — — — — 2 — 
			 Southwark — — — — — 1 — 
			 Sutton — — — — — 1 1 
			 Tower Hamlets — 1 — — 1 — 1 
			 Waltham Forest — — — — — — — 
			 Wandsworth — — — — — — — 
			 Westminster — — — — — — 2 
			 Greater London 4 2 1 12 6 20 29 
		
	
	
		
			  Period 
			  2003 2004 
			 Area October-December January-March April-June July-September October-December Total Issued 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham — — — 1 1 2 
			 Barnet — — 3 4 2 12 
			 Bexley — — 3 1 — 16 
			 Brent — 1 — 2 2 12 
			 Bromley 3 1 — — 2 9 
			 Camden 8 12 5 12 7 73 
			 City of London — — 1 3 1 5 
			 Croydon 4 — 6 — 1 14 
			 Ealing 1 2 5 4 — 12 
			 Enfield 1 2 1 — — 4 
			 Greenwich 3 4 — 1 — 11 
			 Hackney — — 2 2 1 8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2 1 3 — 3 11 
			 Haringey — — 4 5 8 17 
			 Harrow — — 2 3 1 6 
			 Havering 1 1 — 3 3 8 
			 Hillingdon — — 3 5 4 12 
			 Hounslow 2 3 6 4 4 22 
			 Islington 1 — 1 1 3 12 
			 Kensington and Chelsea Royal Borough — 1 3 3 1 9 
			 Kingston-on-Thames 2 — 1 — 2 7 
			 Lambeth —  5 8 3 17 
			 Lewisham 1 2 2 4 — 13 
			 Merton — 4 3 1 3 14 
			 Newham — — 2 1 2 7 
			 Richmond upon Thames 1 — 1 4 3 11 
			 Southwark 4 1 — 5 1 12 
			 Sutton — — 1 1 3 10 
			 Tower Hamlets — 3 — 4 7 17 
			 Waltham Forest — 2 — 5 5 12 
			 Wandsworth 3 3 2 4 — 12 
			 Westminster 3 2 5 6 7 31 
			 Greater London 40 45 70 97 80 438 
		
	
	(18) Between 1 April 1999—31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area (pfa). During this period nine ASBOs were issued, as reported, within Greater London pfa.
	Note:
	This local authority area table differs from criminal justice system area (cjsa) tables in that an issuing court can be outside the area in which the restrictions have been imposed.

Antisocial Behaviour

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders are (a) in force and (b) have been breached in Braintree district; and in how many cases subsequent offences have resulted in a custodial sentence.

Hazel Blears: Antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) data are collected centrally on the number of orders issued. Information is not available on the number in force at any given time.
	Data on convictions for breach of an ASBO and on the criminal histories of particular individuals are available at criminal justice system area level only.

Antisocial Behaviour

Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role the head of the antisocial behaviour unit has in the (a) promotion and (b) execution of Government policy on (i) the prevention of binge drinking and (ii) the promotion of respectful behaviour and the discouragement of offensive or obscene language.

Hazel Blears: The Government have set out a clear strategy for reducing the health and crime and disorder problems associated with the misuse of alcohol, including through binge drinking. This includes new measures contained in the Violent Crime Reduction Bill to enable local authorities and the police to create alcohol disorder zones for targeted action; the introduction of a new Drinking Banning Order and a power for the police to impose 48-hour bans on pubs and clubs persistently selling alcohol to underage persons.
	The Government are currently considering plans to take forward its work on tackling antisocial behaviour and the wider 'respect' agenda. This important work will be driven by a steering group of ministers, officials and practitioners to be chaired by myself, supported by an inter-departmental 'Respect' unit.

Bomb Hoaxes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost to police forces in England and Wales of dealing with hoax bomb threats has been since 7 July.

Hazel Blears: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will to reply to the letter to him dated 6 September from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs. Saira Ahmed.

Charles Clarke: I wrote to my right hon. Friend for Manchester, Gorton on 1 November 2005.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) fined and (b) jailed for offences relating to the non-payment of council tax, including disregarding court orders to pay council tax, since May 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information on those received into prison establishments by way of enforcement proceedings for council tax is shown in the table. The information on those fined is not recorded centrally.
	
		Receptions into prison for non-payment of the community charge/council tax—England and Wales
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1997 357 
			 1998 194 
			 1999 101 
			 2000 41 
			 2001 29 
			 2002 21 
			 2003 30 
			 2004 26

Crime (Easington)

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of (a) violent crime, (b) sexual crime, (c) robbery and (d) car crime have taken place in Easington constituency in the last three years; and what the rates of (i) detection and (ii) prosecution have been in each category of crime.

Hazel Blears: The available information relates to the number of offences recorded for Easington Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP), and is given in the table.
	Statistics on detections and prosecutions for Easington are not available.
	
		Recorded crimes in the Easington crime and disorder reduction partnership area
		
			 Offence type 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Violence against the person 1,095 929 972 
			 Sexual offences(19) 33 41 60 
			 Robbery 51 32 26 
			 Violent crime: 1,179 1,002 1,058 
			 Theft of a motor vehicle 518 461 471 
			 Theft from a vehicle 695 898 566 
			 Vehicle crime: 1,213 1,359 1,037 
		
	
	(19) The Sexual Offences Act 2003, introduced in May 2004, altered the definition and coverage of sexual offences.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many process improvement projects were active in the Criminal Cases Review Commission during 2003–04; and what issues they addressed.

Fiona Mactaggart: During 2003–04 the Commission had six process improvement groups that were active which considered the following areas: case documentation, the Commission's relationship with applicants, external files, casework best practice, use of Investigations and Legal Advisers, and Statements of Reasons.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) complainants and (b) complaints there were to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2003–04; and how many cases were involved.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003–04 55 complainants made 67 complaints about 64 cases.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints to the Criminal Cases Review Commission in 2004–05 concerned case review actions or decisions; and how many resulted in a change to a case decision.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2004–05 the Commission received 69 complaints—of which 44 concerned case review actions or decisions. In four of them the Commission reopened the case.

Criminal Cases Review Commission

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Criminal Cases Review Commission received in grant aid in the year ending 31 March (a) 2004 and (b) 2005.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003–04 the Criminal Cases Review Commission received grant aid of £7.8 million and in 2004–05 the figure was £5.75 million.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many applications for compensation made on behalf of murder victims have been refused due to the victim having been judged to have provoked their attack under section 13d of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001 in each year of its operation;
	(2)  how many applications for compensation made on behalf of murder victims have been refused due to the victim having been judged to have provoked their attack under section 13d of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 1996, in each year of its operation.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information in the following table has been provided by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority. The figures relate to cases finalised in the years in question.
	
		CICS applications refused under para. 13d for provocation
		
			  2001 scheme 1996 scheme 
		
		
			 2000–01 n/a 83 
			 2001–02 10 64 
			 2002–03 58 52 
			 2003–04 76 4 
			 2004–05 113 11

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2001.

Fiona Mactaggart: We are aiming to issue, before the end of 2005, a consultation paper on victims' services. It is likely to include ideas about the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme. There will be a three-month period for consultation.

Deaths in Custody

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will arrange for a public notice to be inserted on the Prison Service website on the occasion of every death in custody.

Fiona Mactaggart: There are no current plans for such notices to be placed on the Prison Service website.

Disclosure Powers

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to address the request from the Criminal Cases Review Commission for greater powers (a) to enforce disclosure on solicitors and others and (b) to interview witnesses overseas; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information is as follows:
	(a) At present the powers of the Criminal Cases Review Commission to compel the production of material are limited to material held by public bodies. The proposal that the Commission should have powers to compel disclosure to solicitors and others raises the question of whether it's powers should extend to cover private bodies and individuals. It has been decided to take this forward as part of the Government's wider consideration of a possible new statutory third party disclosure scheme, as recommended by Sir Robin Auld in his Review of the Criminal Courts of England and Wales. An interdepartmental working party has recently been established to undertake this work, which is concerned with the disclosure of material by any person or body other than the defendant for the purposes of criminal investigations and proceedings.
	(b) Agreement has been reached in principal to extend the powers of the Criminal Cases Review Commission to seek assistance from foreign authorities by amending the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003. The Home Secretary is waiting for a suitable legislative vehicle in which to include the amendment to bring about this change.

Dr. David Kelly

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  on what date the police inquiry into the death of Dr. David Kelly was closed;
	(2)  on what date the police investigation into the death of Dr. David Kelly was closed.

Hazel Blears: Thames Valley police were investigating the death of Dr. David Kelly on behalf of the Coroner for Oxfordshire. The Coroner declared on 16 March 2004 that he accepted Lord Hutton's conclusion and that he would not re-open the Inquest.

Drug-related Offending (Braintree)

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many arrests for suspected drug-related offences have been made in the Braintree constituency during the last five years.

Hazel Blears: Data on number of arrests for suspected drug-related offences are not collated in the format requested.
	Statistics for arrests for drug offences, such as possession of drugs or possession with intent to supply, are available by police force area. However, it is known that many other crimes may be drug-related, such as burglary or shoplifting, which are often carried out in order to obtain drugs. Information on the number of arrests for some of these offence types is also only available by police force area. Details of both can be found in the annual publication 'Home Office Statistical Bulletin, Arrests for Notifiable Offences and the Operations of Certain Police Powers under PACE' which is published on the Home Office website.
	The total number of persons arrested for drug offences and other acquisitive offences, a significant proportion of which are likely to be drug-related, in the Essex police force area since 2000 is shown in the following table.
	
		Number of persons arrested for notifiable offences by offence type, Essex police force area
		
			  2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 Drug offences 2,108 1,643 1,850 1,585 
			 Robbery 378 745 432 560 
			 Burglary 2,002 1,678 1,839 1,976 
			 Theft and handling stolen goods 9,815 8,486 8,469 8,260 
			 Fraud and forgery 780 1,671 811 1,112

Electronic Tagging

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring his Department carries out of contractors required to regulate offenders' electronic tagging; and what contractual obligations the contractors have to report curfew breaches by offenders wearing such tags.

Fiona Mactaggart: The electronic monitoring contracts in England and Wales are monitored by a dedicated team within the Home Office National Offender Management Service. The two companies with responsibility for delivering electronic monitoring are required to meet a number of service standards. Performance is rigorously monitored and robustly enforced, with financial deductions for underperformance.
	In respect of breach, the service provider is required to notify the court and secure a hearing date within three working days. Where other agencies have enforcement responsibility there are separate reporting requirements.

Electronic Tagging

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders wearing electronic tags were identified as being in breach of curfew orders in the last year for which figures are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2003, the latest year for which figures are available, 9,599 offenders were sentenced to a curfew order, of which 1,605 were found by the courts to be in breach.
	A very small proportion of this total would have been monitored by alternative means to electronic tagging, as it was not a statutory requirement under the legislation in place at that time. Electronic monitoring must now be used for all adult curfew requirements imposed by the court since the introduction of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 on 4 April 2005.

Electronic Tagging

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of performance by contractors in reporting curfew breaches by offenders wearing electronic tags.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office has recently reviewed the timeliness of reporting curfew violations to other agencies, and they are working with the service providers to improve performance in this area. In the vast majority of cases curfew violations are reported within the agreed time scales.

Equitorial Guinea (Attempted Coup)

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the UK police are assisting investigations into the attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: No requests have been made to the Home Office for UK police to assist in this matter.

Firearms

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on tackling the possession of firearms among young males.

Hazel Blears: The Government's approach to dealing with this problem focuses on three main areas. First the legislative framework where we have taken steps to strengthen the laws governing the possession of firearms which are already among the toughest in the world. We have introduced a mandatory five year minimum sentence for anyone convicted of possession of an illegal firearm, made it an offence to carry an imitation or air gun in public without lawful authority or reasonable excuse, banned the sale, manufacture and import of guns that use self contained gas cartridge systems, and strengthened the law on airguns. The Violent Crime Reduction Bill builds on these measures.
	Secondly, we have worked closely with law enforcement agencies to strengthen enforcement action.
	Thirdly, we recognise the key part played by communities in addressing the wider issue of this underlying gun culture. We have put £2 million from recycled criminal assets into anti-gun crime projects across the country this year. In addition, the Connected Fund launched last year, provides grants to small voluntary groups working on gun crime, knife crime and gang-related issues. This has proved very successful, supporting over 150 community groups across the country to date.

Firearms

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many minors were charged with possession of a firearm in the last period for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Statistics of persons charged with crimes are not collected centrally.

Historical Sex Abuse Cases

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what penalties are available for journalists who report prejudicial material which may damage an investigation into historical sex abuse; and on how many occasions in the last 10 years these penalties have been used.

Fiona Mactaggart: Under the Contempt of Court Act 1981, it is a contempt once legal proceedings are active to publish material that creates a substantial risk that the course of justice in those proceedings will be seriously impeded or prejudiced. This is regardless of whether there is any intent.
	The maximum term of committal is two years, and/or a fine; community penalties are not available. Statistics on the use of these penalties are not available. Persons proceeded against for offences under the Contempt of Court Act 1981 cannot be separately identified on the Home Office court proceedings database.

Illegal Immigrants (Kettering)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employers in Kettering constituency have been prosecuted for employing illegal immigrants in each year since 1997.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 October 2005
	There are no recorded prosecutions in the Kettering Petty Sessions for offences by employers under Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 for the periods in question.

Immigrant Labour

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers in the UK have permission to work; and what proportion of the total number of asylum seekers they represent.

Tony McNulty: Between 1986 and 2002 asylum seekers could request permission to work in certain circumstances. That concession was abolished on 23 July 2002. Asylum seekers are not now allowed to work as a matter of routine although, with the introduction of the EU Directive on Reception Conditions for Asylum Seekers an asylum seeker can seek permission to work if their claim for asylum remains outstanding for longer than 12 months without an initial decision being made on it, providing the reason for the delay cannot be attributed to them. Information on the number of asylum seekers given permission to work under the previous concession or as a result of the EU directive is not available centrally and could be obtained only by investigating individual case records.

Indefinite Leave to Remain

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to supply Mr. T. M. of Aylesbury (ref. M1194191; CTS ref. M20613/5) with formal documentation to confirm the grant to him of indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 25 October 2005
	The case of Mr. T. M. of Aylesbury is being treated as a priority. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate will grant him indefinite leave to remain when certain documents that were requested from Mr. T. M. on the 25 October have been received.

Licensing Hours

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of violent assaults in England and Wales were attributed to alcohol abuse in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office does not hold data on violent assaults attributable to alcohol abuse (ie involving people with problems with alcohol).

Licensing Hours

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has conducted into the impact of extended licensing hours on the allocation of police resources; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Under the outgoing licensing law, the police are annually engaged in over 1.6 million administrative licensing processes which will be streamlined to around 170,000 under the Licensing Act 2003 resulting in a saving of up to £15 million annually. The Act will also give the police further powers to tackle alcohol related disorder, for instance through allowing temporary or permanent reductions in trading hours.

Missing Children

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to establish the whereabouts of the African and Caribbean boys between the ages of four and seven who were recently identified as having gone missing from London schools over a three-month period; and what steps have been taken to encourage the Department for Education and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to work more closely together to improve systems of record keeping.

Hazel Blears: Initial inquiries made by Metropolitan Police Officers investigating the 'Adam' murder found that a number of African boys had not returned to school following the summer break in 2001. Following their further investigations, I understand from the Metropolitan Police Service that in every case there were legitimate reasons for the boys not returning to school and none of the boys reported as missing is unaccounted for.
	There has been considerable media speculation that these children were trafficked for the purpose of ritual abuse. There is no evidence that any of them has come to any harm or been involved in ritualistic practices and there were no allegations from either the families or schools that the welfare of these children was at risk. The Metropolitan police have made it clear that they believe this type of crime to be extremely rare, and that there is no evidence to suggest that any children are at risk.
	The Department for Education and Skills, the Home Office and the police service are continuing to work together to reinforce local procedures to ensure that any children at risk might be identified. Every Child Matters: Change for Children, published by the Department for Education and Skills on 1 December 2004, iterates the Government's expectation that by December 2005 every local authority should have systematic arrangements in place to identify children missing from education, so that suitable provision can be made for them.

Motoring Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) hit and run accidents, (b) hit and run accidents in which the driver did not have insurance and (c) hit and run accidents for which drivers were taken to court and (i) fined, (ii) imprisoned and (iii) acquitted there were in (A) Southend, (B) Essex, (C) the Metropolitan police area of London and (D) England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what percentage of these fines remain unpaid.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the number of drivers without insurance who are involved in hit and run accidents is not collected centrally.
	Available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database and given in Tables A—D2 show the number of offences proceeded against by result for the offence of 'failing to stop after an accident' under the Road Traffic Act 1988 s. 170 (4) from 1999 to 2003 (latest available). 2004 data will be available early in 2006.
	Table E, provided by the Department for Transport, details data for those accidents classified as hit and run.
	Fines are collected by the courts and the current payment rate for fines in general is around 80 per cent.
	
		Table A: Court proceedings for accident offences(20) within Southend-on-Sea magistrates court by result, 1999–2000
		
			 Number of offences 
			  Total proceedings Charges withdrawn/dismissed (21) Total findings of guilt Immediate custody (22) Fine 
		
		
			 1999 250 38 164 10 95 
			 2000 329 105 198 12 107 
			 2001 286 76 190 8 100 
			 2002 309 100 184 13 90 
			 2003 319 84 215 10 105 
		
	
	(20) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)
	(21) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).
	(22) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.
	
		Table B1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences(23) dealt with by Essex police by result, 1999–2000
		
			 Number of offences 
			  Total proceedings Charges withdrawn/dismissed (24) Total findings of guilt Immediate custody (25) Fine 
		
		
			 1999 998 326 594 30 366 
			 2000 1,103 416 605 24 360 
			 2001 1,185 380 710 36 413 
			 2002 1,214 385 731 34 379 
			 2003 1,309 421 787 49 403 
		
	
	(23) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)
	(24) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).
	(25) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention & Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.
	
		Table B2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences(26) dealt with by Essex police by result, 1999–2000
		
			 Number of offences 
			  Total proceedings for trial Acquitted Total findings of guilt Immediate custody (27) Fine 
		
		
			 1999 6 5 1 — — 
			 2000 8 4 4 — — 
			 2001 6 2 2 — — 
			 2002 6 6 — — — 
			 2003 27 10 17 — 4 
		
	
	(26) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)
	(27) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.
	
		Table C1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences(28) dealt with by the Metropolitan police by result, 1999–2000
		
			 Number of offences 
			  Total proceedings Charges withdrawn/dismissed (29) Total findings of guilt Immediate custody (30) Fine 
		
		
			 1999 2,544 1,029 1,293 44 891 
			 2000 2,212 884 1,115 36 737 
			 2001 1,926 827 960 39 577 
			 2002 1,919 768 986 33 603 
			 2003 1,838 746 957 40 535 
		
	
	(28) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)
	(29) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).
	(30) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.
	
		Table C2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences(31) with by the Metropolitan police by result, 1999–2000
		
			 Number of offences 
			  Total proceedings for trial Acquitted Total findings of guilt Immediate custody (32) Fine 
		
		
			 1999 32 11 19 — 2 
			 2000 28 5 23 13 2 
			 2001 15 5 9 — — 
			 2002 34 12 19 3 3 
			 2003 40 12 28 5 5 
		
	
	(31) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)
	(32) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.
	
		Table D1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences(33) within England and Wales by result, 1999–2000
		
			 Number of offences 
			  Total proceedings Charges withdrawn/dismissed (34) Total findings of guilt Immediate custody (35) Fine 
		
		
			 1999 27,259 8,956 16,208 562 9,503 
			 2000 26,692 9,211 15,512 518 8,917 
			 2001 28,105 10,150 15,624 518 8,573 
			 2002 28,394 10,059 15,912 513 8,320 
			 2003 29,549 10,290 16,691 540 8,813 
		
	
	(33) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)
	(34) Includes cases under Magistrates' Courts Act 1980 s9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).
	(35) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.
	
		Table D2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences(36) within England and Wales by result, 1999–2000
		
			 Number of offences 
			  Total proceedings for trial Acquitted Total findings of guilt Immediate custody (37) Fine 
		
		
			 1999 321 98 220 9 17 
			 2000 348 62 284 51 19 
			 2001 342 63 274 25 18 
			 2002 465 84 372 29 22 
			 2003 558 115 400 27 27 
		
	
	(36) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s. 170(4)
	(37) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and Unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.
	Source:
	RDS-OCJR (PQM&SDC151–05)
	
		Table E: Hit and run accidents by area and severity: 1999–2004
		
			  Year of accident 
			  1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Local authority (district): Southend-on-Sea   
			 Fatal 0 1 1 1 0 0 
			 Serious 7 9 10 12 11 10 
			 Slight 67 67 77 74 89 91 
			 Total 74 77 88 87 100 101 
			
			 County: Essex 
			 Fatal 1 5 4 3 2 2 
			 Serious 49 72 75 93 126 86 
			 Slight 507 571 602 730 683 683 
			 Total 557 648 681 826 811 771 
			
			 Police force code: Metropolitan police
			 Fatal 26 15 27 30 29 20 
			 Serious 376 507 629 680 617 470 
			 Slight 3,104 3,718 4,691 5,121 4,732 3,870 
			 Total 3,506 4,240 5,347 5,831 5,378 4,360 
			
			 Country: England and Wales 
			 Fatal 131 100 126 148 137 131 
			 Serious 1,936 2,184 2,275 2,600 2,537 2,091 
			 Slight 17,736 20,160 22,448 23,734 23,484 21,127 
			 Total 19,803 22,444 24,849 26,482 26,158 23,349 
		
	
	Source:
	Department for Transport.

National Offender Management Service

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he plans to ensure that the introduction of the National Offender Management Service will achieve its aims of reducing reoffending and increasing public confidence.

Fiona Mactaggart: The introduction of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) is a major change initiative. The change programme creates the capability to reduce reoffending by:
	introducing an offender management model to ensure effective end-to-end management of offenders from the beginning to the end of their sentence, both in custody and the community;
	providing high quality and innovative offender management and interventions services for offenders through a mixed economy of public, private and voluntary sector providers; and
	improvements in IT.
	Successful delivery is being assured by the adoption of best practice programme management arrangements, including developing and tracking key indicators of delivery—as stated in the NOMS corporate plan.

National Offender Management Service

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the performance of the National Offender Management Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: An assessment of progress against Performance Targets as set out in the National Offender Management Service Business Plan is made on a regular basis. We are currently on course to meet most of these. Additionally, a bi-annual assessment of progress against Business Plan milestones is made; this is due later this month.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure on the National Offender Management Service was up to the end of September.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 18 October 2005
	The total expenditure on the National Offender Management Service for the current financial year, up to the end of September, is £1,912,966,000 resource and £136,995,000 capital. The figures for the month of September are provisional.

National Offender Management Service

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the business case for the National Offender Management Service will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) strategic business case was published on the NOMS website:
	www.noms.homeoffice.gov.uk on 20 October.
	The case for the establishment of NOMS was outlined in 'Managing Offenders Reducing Crime'. A separate detailed business case has taken time to prepare as NOMS is a complex and wide-ranging programme. The business case makes a detailed strategic case for change.

National Offender Management Service

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what date the relevant Minister agreed the business case for the National Offender Management Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: Ministers have supported the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) in the development of the strategic business case and approved it prior to its publication. The NOMS strategic business case was published on the NOMS website www.noms.homeoffice.gov.uk on 20 October.
	The case for the establishment of NOMS was outlined in 'Managing Offenders Reducing Crime'. A separate detailed business case has taken time to prepare as NOMS is a complex and wide-ranging programme. The business case makes a detailed strategic case for change.

National Offender Management Service

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when (a) the business case and (b) gateway reviews in respect of a contestability within the National Offender Management Service will be published; and if he will place a copy in the Library when it is available.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding Answer 31 October 2005
	We have no plans to publish the gateway reviews of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) programme that have taken place. The strategic business case was published on the NOMS website (www.noms.homeoffice.gov.uk) on 20 October 2005. Since its publication was electronic, no copies have been placed in the Library.

Payroll Giving Grants Programme

Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the information on the take up of the payroll giving grants programme will be available; and in what format it will be published.

Paul Goggins: The Institute of Fundraising will write to all MPs in January 2006 with a breakdown of the take up of payroll giving by constituency, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

Police

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many resignations and retirements of police officers from the Northamptonshire police there have been in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 25 October 2005
	Figures for the number of voluntary resignations by police officers in Northamptonshire are provided in the table. Figures for the numbers of ordinary and medical retirements by police officers in Northamptonshire are also provided in the table.
	
		Total number of police officer voluntary resignations in Northamptonshire, 1997 to 2005
		
			 As at 31 March each year: Voluntary resignations 
		
		
			 1997 13 
			 1998 8 
			 1999 23 
			 2000 9 
			 2001 10 
			 2002 7 
			 2003 11 
			 2004 26 
			 2005 29 
		
	
	
		Total number of police officer retirements in Northamptonshire, 1997 to 2005
		
			 As at 31 March each year: Ordinary retirements Medical retirements Total retirements 
		
		
			 1997 10 14 24 
			 1998 26 18 44 
			 1999 16 17 33 
			 2000 21 5 26 
			 2001 25 8 33 
			 2002 21 6 27 
			 2003 30 3 33 
			 2004 25 3 28 
			 2005 42 3 45

Police

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the effective rate of employer contributions is to final salary pension schemes in the public sector for police officers.

Hazel Blears: The police pension scheme is financed on a pay-as-you-go basis, which means that police forces pay the pensions of their former officers directly out of their operating account. Police forces do not pay employer contributions as such, but it is estimated that the notional employer contribution rate for the current Police Pension Scheme is 26.1 per cent.

Police

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) police officers and (b) police sergeants there were on 1 January (i) 2002, (ii) 2003, (iii) 2004 and (iv) 2005, broken down by (A) London borough and (B) police authority;
	(2)  how many police community support officers there were on 1January (a) 2002, (b) 2003, (c) 2004 and (d) 2005, broken down by (i) London borough and (ii) police authority.

Hazel Blears: Information on the number of constables and sergeants for each police force in England and Wales for 31 March of each year requested (which is the nearest available date to January) is set out in Table A. Community Support Officers were introduced during 2002–03 and the first available information on their number is for 31 March 2003.
	Table B sets out the total number of police officers and Community Support Officers for each London Borough Operational Command Unit (OCU). The data shows the total number of officers in each OCU: a breakdown by rank is not collected. Information on the number of Community Support Officers in London OCUs has only been collected since March 2005. In addition to London borough deployment, 456 CSOs are assigned to the Metropolitan Police Transport OCU, 40 to the Royal Parks OCU and 45 to SO18 (aviation security).
	
		Table A: Total strength for police constables, sergeants and police community support officers (PCSO)(38) by police force area, 31 March 2002 to 31 March 2005
		
			  Strength as at March: 
			  2002 (39) 2003 (39) 
			 Police force Constable Sergeant Force strength Constable Sergeant Force strength PCSO 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 2,428 457 3,096 2,454 481 3,149 0 
			 Bedfordshire 851 132 1,069 896 136 1,106 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,057 206 1,362 1,106 192 1,384 6 
			 Cheshire 1,601 310 2,059 1,674 312 2,119 2 
			 Cleveland 1,150 205 1,461 1,261 222 1,582 37 
			 Cumbria 858 164 1,100 912 167 1,140 0 
			 Derbyshire 1,440 274 1,848 1,578 289 2,003 0 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,399 431 3,053 2,529 461 3,202 19 
			 Dorset 1,067 208 1,381 1,108 208 1,416 6 
			 Durham 1,277 215 1,614 1,323 219 1,651 10 
			 Essex 2,301 433 2,946 2,382 415 2,989 10 
			 Gloucestershire 929 161 1,183 963 178 1,227 0 
			 Greater Manchester 5,744 954 7,217 5,894 980 7,343 160 
			 Hampshire 2,674 552 3,480 2,887 570 3,668 0 
			 Hertfordshire 1,429 247 1,825 1,609 224 1,957 14 
			 Humberside 1,620 289 2,058 1,680 288 2,105 0 
			 Kent 2,664 470 3,355 2,782 472 3,487 0 
			 Lancashire 2,555 513 3,304 2,610 521 3,339 77 
			 Leicestershire 1,674 294 2,100 1,761 254 2,114 28 
			 Lincolnshire 916 184 1,198 954 182 1,221 29 
			 London, City of 591 100 764 622 108 808 0 
			 Merseyside 3,273 567 4,125 3,278 548 4,099 40 
			 Metropolitan Police 20,209 4,099 26,223 21,955 4213 27,984 513 
			 Norfolk 1,147 204 1,468 1,176 215 1,499 12 
			 Northamptonshire 958 173 1,214 979 167 1,210 12 
			 Northumbria 3,116 539 3,929 3,190 549 3,943 0 
			 North Yorkshire 1,091 226 1,417 1,129 227 1,444 0 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,819 347 2,330 1,921 345 2,411 10 
			 South Yorkshire 2,446 491 3,199 2447 489 3,183 14 
			 Staffordshire 1,639 348 2,133 1,736 355 2,202 0 
			 Suffolk 959 159 1,203 997 174 1,253 0 
			 Surrey 1,569 286 1,992 1,525 267 1,906 21 
			 Sussex 2,209 442 2,893 2,354 427 2,989 22 
			 Thames Valley 2,930 545 3,762 3,097 521 3,833 0 
			 Warwickshire 772 118 969 785 134 997 11 
			 West Mercia 1,546 322 2,018 1,788 320 2,256 8 
			 West Midlands 6,200 1,047 7,618 6,379 1,030 7,751 0 
			 West Yorkshire 3,879 641 4,889 4,020 644 5,029 70 
			 Wiltshire 897 167 1,157 908 161 1,158 15 
			 Dyfed-Powys 871 175 1,132 880 184 1,149 0 
			 Gwent 1,040 204 1,333 1,054 203 1,341 30 
			 North Wales 1,159 230 1,506 1,209 229 1,539 0 
			 South Wales 2,535 448 3,222 2,574 452 3,239 0 
			 Total of 43 forces 99,487 18,574 127,267 104,363 18,731 131,426 1,176 
		
	
	
		
			  Strength as at March: 
			  2004 (39) 2005 
			 Police force Constable Sergeant Force strength PCSO Constable Sergeant Force strength PCSO 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 2,686 490 3,401 45 2,663 497 3,384 139 
			 Bedfordshire 985 130 1,181 12 1,002 143 1,215 40 
			 Cambridgeshire 1,131 184 1,400 57 1,085 224 1,402 86 
			 Cheshire 1,710 318 2,177 50 1,692 326 2,186 52 
			 Cleveland 1,349 232 1,687 77 1,327 246 1,676 75 
			 Cumbria 1,000 153 1,222 0 1,002 168 1,232 17 
			 Derbyshire 1,659 291 2,070 0 1,630 307 2,070 43 
			 Devon and Cornwall 2,600 477 3,283 51 2,675 491 3,369 74 
			 Dorset 1,129 212 1,433 8 1,142 216 1,450 47 
			 Durham 1,349 224 1,685 28 1,373 235 1,718 69 
			 Essex 2,483 420 3,098 86 2,555 438 3,190 179 
			 Gloucestershire 1,008 183 1,284 54 1,026 170 1,291 72 
			 Greater Manchester 6,573 1,018 8,042 173 6,513 1045 8,041 269 
			 Hampshire 2,936 586 3,706 0 2,929 595 3,725 26 
			 Hertfordshire 1,771 215 2,086 46 1,784 237 2,104 98 
			 Humberside 1,767 298 2,213 — 1,771 307 2,230 20 
			 Kent 2,915 468 3,576 59 2,899 486 3,586 105 
			 Lancashire 2,792 535 3,550 110 2,775 562 3,551 161 
			 Leicestershire 1,872 285 2,277 41 1,896 268 2,283 103 
			 Lincolnshire 962 179 1,228 38 962 175 1,221 75 
			 London, City of 643 128 853 0 663 127 876 14 
			 Merseyside 3,270 597 4,122 72 3,474 576 4,317 170 
			 Metropolitan Police 23,548 4,236 29,735 1,463 23,694 4,963 30,710 2,147 
			 Norfolk 1,179 223 1,510 33 1,192 247 1,544 68 
			 Northamptonshire 998 183 1,239 10 1,003 191 1,267 37 
			 Northumbria 3,238 548 4,040 51 3,236 564 4,048 126 
			 North Yorkshire 1,175 241 1,529 52 1,195 246 1,543 75 
			 Nottinghamshire 1,983 348 2,484 56 1,944 393 2,502 108 
			 South Yorkshire 2,576 471 3,279 59 2,563 480 3,265 124 
			 Staffordshire 1,810 337 2,266 7 1,824 340 2,280 63 
			 Suffolk 1,047 176 1,304 15 1,051 169 1,313 34 
			 Surrey 1,531 273 1,913 56 1,464 323 1,915 115 
			 Sussex 2,400 433 3,039 83 2,326 499 3,044 228 
			 Thames Valley 3,321 502 4,034 7 3,356 544 4,114 98 
			 Warwickshire 794 133 1,008 25 798 130 1,011 56 
			 West Mercia 1,869 334 2,355 57 1,833 373 2,367 81 
			 West Midlands 6,572 991 7,887 39 6,645 1,051 8,056 219 
			 West Yorkshire 4,270 660 5,275 265 4,552 713 5,631 394 
			 Wiltshire 977 159 1,217 23 971 156 1,222 41 
			 Dyfed-Powys 898 188 1,160 5 904 186 1,174 25 
			 Gwent 1,072 213 1,372 45 1,136 208 1,438 77 
			 North Wales 1,268 242 1,603 — 1,263 270 1,652 59 
			 South Wales 2,603 465 3,279 59 2,601 467 3,281 107 
			 Total of 43 forces 109,718 18,979 137,105 3,418 110,392 20,350 139,495 6,214 
		
	
	(38) Police community Support Officer (PCSO) strength is only available from 31 March 2003. There may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.
	(39) Some forces have revised their figures and totals may not agree with those previously published.
	
		Table B—London borough police officer (40) and community support officer strength
		
			  Police officers (41)CSO 
			  As at 31 March: 
			 London Borough Operational Command Unit 2002 2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 301 360 384 419 36 
			 Barnet 514 522 541 561 48 
			 Bexley 316 315 338 383 49 
			 Brent 581 619 683 679 31 
			 Bromley and Orpington 432 417 459 489 52 
			 Camden 699 719 794 850 48 
			 Croydon 592 624 659 692 49 
			 Ealing 640 652 697 686 44 
			 Enfield 487 490 538 575 44 
			 Greenwich 572 604 583 605 43 
			 Hackney 648 673 766 789 51 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 509 513 516 526 30 
			 Haringey 555 633 682 683 40 
			 Harrow 290 302 333 342 36 
			 Havering 319 340 343 383 41 
			 Hillingdon 408 458 484 498 56 
			 Hounslow 435 467 472 510 42 
			 Islington 566 623 680 683 39 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 535 528 575 562 67 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 266 272 275 298 26 
			 Lambeth 882 968 941 984 76 
			 Lewisham 595 571 625 646 42 
			 Merton 284 304 339 352 31 
			 Newham 612 692 781 782 77 
			 Redbridge 397 393 440 459 41 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 277 284 285 287 39 
			 Southwark 796 838 869 891 43 
			 Sutton 255 266 280 291 32 
			 Tower Hamlets 562 686 760 761 66 
			 Waltham Forest 456 486 533 546 39 
			 Wandsworth 563 557 612 582 46 
			 Westminster, City of 1,508 1,565 1,637 1,617 272 
		
	
	(40) Allocation of police officers to each London borough is substantially determined by the Metropolitan Police Service through the application of the force's resource allocation formula.
	(41) CSO = Community Support Officer

Police

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will rank police forces according to percentage of total strength that has been civilianised since 1995.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 24 October 2005
	The information requested is not collected. It is for chief officers of police and their police authorities to determine the mix of staff employed by a police force. The police service efficiency strategy expects the service to work towards increasing the amount of police officer time spent on front-line policing to around 72 per cent. by March 2008, from nearly 64 per cent. in March 2004. This equates to an extra 12,000 police officers being freed up from back-office tasks over the next three years.

Police

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many resignations from the police there have been in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: Figures for the numbers of voluntary resignations by both police officers and police staff are provided in the table. Increasing numbers of resignations are to be expected given the record growth in police service personnel numbers over the last five years.
	
		Total number of voluntary resignations from police forces (1997–2005)
		
			 As at 31 March Police officers Police staff 
		
		
			 1997 748 3,669 
			 1998 926 4,075 
			 1999 1,189 4,899 
			 2000 1,235 4,404 
			 2001 1,468 4,935 
			 2002 1,674 4,785 
			 2003(42) 1,969 4,986 
			 2004 2,187 5,560 
			 2005(42) 2,073 6,090 
		
	
	(42) Totals exclude one force.

Police

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of (a) the compatibility of police computer systems and (b) the implications of computer system compatibility for force restructuring.

Hazel Blears: The compatibility of police computer systems within each force is the responsibility of the chief constable and his police authority. National systems such as the police national computer operated op behalf of the service by the Police Information Technology Organisation are accessible by all forces.
	The IMPACT programme will provide business processes and systems which allow police forces to share and link operationally relevant information regardless of artificial boundaries between forces and systems. As part of developing options for change on restructuring, police forces/authorities are expected to consider and assess computer system compatibility across forces within their region.

Police

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the age profile of Lancashire police on recruitment requirements for the force.

Hazel Blears: Individual forces carry out their own age profiling with a view to future recruitment needs.
	Lancashire constabulary monitors the effect of the age profile of the organisation on the recruitment requirements for the force on a monthly basis. They currently have projections until 2011.

Police

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which police stations have held convicted prisoners for one night or more after sentencing in the past six months; and for those in respect of which proceedings have been completed (a) how many were so held, (b) what their sentence was and (c) for what crime they were convicted in each case;
	(2)  how many convicted prisoners have been held in police cells for one night or more after sentencing in the past six months.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 24 October 2005
	Since 1 April 2005 there has been a total of 645 prisoners held overnight in police accommodation. This includes both convicted and unconvicted prisoners. This is not a routine use and is an emergency measure only.
	Details of police stations, whether proceedings have been completed, prisoner status, sentence and offence are not recorded centrally by the National Offender Management Service and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Police

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the starting salary of a new police officer was for each police force area in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 20 July 2005
	Starting pay for police constables in the last three years is set out in the table.
	In addition to their pay, officers in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police receive a London allowance of £4,338 for officers recruited on or after one September 1994 and who are not in receipt of a housing allowance. Officers in Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Surrey and Thames Valley who were recruited on or after 1 September and who are not in receipt of a housing allowance receive a South East allowance of £2,000 a year. Qualifying officers in Bedfordshire, Hampshire and Sussex receive a South East allowance of £1,000 a year.
	
		£
		
			  Starting pay in Home Department police forces outside of London Starting pay in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police(43) 
		
		
			 September 2002 18,264 20,091 
			 April 2003 18,666 20,493 
			 July 2003 18,666 20,547 
			 September 2003 19,227 21,108 
			 July 2004 19,227 21,165 
			 September 2004 19,803 21,741 
		
	
	(43) The pay of constables in the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police is increased by London weighting.

Police

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to police authorities on the purchase and hire of road vehicles.

Hazel Blears: The Government are determined to ensure that the police have adequate resources to play their key part in tackling crime and disorder and improving community safety.
	Planning and management of police resources locally, including use of vehicles, are matters for each police authority and chief officer.
	We have worked with the police service to develop national frameworks for the purchase of vehicles, under which forces are offered significant discounts on manufacturers' prices. These have been in place since 1992 and are regularly re-tendered. The arrangements are strongly encouraged by the Association of Chief Police Officers and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. The most recent version (spring 2005) have been designed to assist forces in rationalising the variety of models in use, to encourage standardisation and deliver further increases in value for money.

Prisons

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he has taken to prevent drug abuse in prisons among (a) staff and (b) inmates; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: A comprehensive series of measures is in place to reduce the misuse of drugs by prisoners including:
	Supply Reduction
	measures to tackle visitors who attempt to smuggle drugs;
	use of drug dogs;
	CCTV in visits areas;
	working with the police;
	searching;
	use of Supply Reduction Good Practice Guide; and
	mandatory and voluntary drug testing programmes.
	Demand Reduction
	Clinical Management of Substance;
	Misuse;
	Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Through-care services; and
	Drug Treatment Programmes.
	All staff are required to report fit for duty. This includes not being unfit through either alcohol or drug misuse. Failure to meet this standard may result in disciplinary action. Staff are also liable to be searched when reporting for duty.

Prisons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure that educational records are transferred effectively across the prison estate.

Fiona Mactaggart: Successful data transfer/exchange is an urgent priority as part of the implementation of the new offender learning and skills service. The three development regions (north-east, north-west, south-west) which went live in August 2005 have implemented the Learning and Skills Council's Individual Learner Record arrangements, whereby centrally held records are available to education providers involved in delivering offender learning services, but we regard this as only a partial solution.
	The longer term solution will be inclusion of learning records (alongside all other data relating to the offender) on the National Offender Management Service's NOMIS database.

Prisons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners took part in higher educational courses in prisons in each year since 2000, broken down by (a) age, (b) gender and (c) ethnicity.

Fiona Mactaggart: These data would be available only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department for Education and Skills provides support funding for Open University Openings access courses, Open University undergraduate course modules and contributions to tutorial costs. The table shows the number of places funded (figures are available centrally only from 2002).
	
		OU courses
		
			  Openings Undergraduate Total 
		
		
			 2002–03 0 450 450 
			 2003–04 200 650 850 
			 2004–05 250 850 1,100 
			 2005–06 250 1,050 (44)1,300 
		
	
	(44) planned

Prisons

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to implement the recommendations of the Independent Monitoring Board on diverting mentally ill and addicted prisoners in young offenders institutions to appropriate care and treatment.

Fiona Mactaggart: All prisoners undergo health screening, which will identify mental health problems and addictions, on reception into prison. They will then be referred on for appropriate interventions. Measures in place to ensure that prisoners who need in-patient treatment for mental disorder are transferred to hospital quickly are now being augmented through a two year project which will establish a national waiting time for such transfers along with referral guidelines.

Prisons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the provision of condoms in prisons and young offenders' institutions.

Fiona Mactaggart: Prison doctors were advised in 1995 that they should make condoms available to individual prisoners, on application, if in their clinical judgment, there is a risk of transmission of HIV infection during sexual activity. The Prison Service is planning to issue, in early 2006, revised guidance and instructions which aim to clarify the policy on condoms so that it can be applied more evenly across the prison estate.

Prisons

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the quantity of drugs taken into prisons in the North East region by (a) prisoners, (b) visitors, (c) prison officers and (d) other means in each of the last 10 years.

Fiona Mactaggart: As I stated in my reply to a question by the hon. Member for North-West Norfolk (Mr. Bellingham) on 10 October, we do not collect comprehensive information on quantities centrally.
	The Mandatory Drug Testing programme, which is the principle means of measuring drug misuse in prisons, shows that in the North East the percentage of positive tests has reduced from 32.9 per cent. in 1996–97 to 10 per cent. in 2005–06 (August 2005).
	The Home Office recently commissioned a substantial piece of research that identifies patterns of drug use and supply routes. The six main routes identified were social visits, mail, new receptions, prison staff, over the perimeter and reception after court visits. Measures are already in place to target these routes and the report will inform the further development of supply reduction strategies.

Prisons

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people whose family homes are in South Tyneside are (a) on remand and (b) convicted prisoners in a prison more than 50 miles from their family home.

Fiona Mactaggart: As at 31 June 2005, the latest date for which figures are available, (a) no remand and (b) 44 convicted prisoners whose home area was recorded as South Tyneside were held in prisons more than 50 miles from their home.
	Note:
	Home address details are not held for all prisoners. Where an individual prisoner's home address is not recorded, the prisoner's committal, remand, convicting or sentencing court is used.

Prisons

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of violent incidents in prisons have occurred in overcrowded cells in each of the last three years for which records are available.

Fiona Mactaggart: Data on the number of violent incidents in overcrowded cells are not available and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new (a) prison cells and (b) prison places are planned to be created in each of the next five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: There is an ongoing building programme to increase operational capacity to 79,100 by June 2006 and to 80,400 by 2007.
	We continue to investigate options for providing further increases in capacity.

Prisons

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment is made of prisoners in young offenders institutions to ensure that they are not allocated a cell shared with a potentially hostile inmate.

Fiona Mactaggart: The National Security Framework, the core security document for the Prison Service, requires that prisoners are risk assessed on reception and induction and are accommodated in line with a number of risk assessments. This includes the reception health screening process, which incorporates an assessment of mental health, and a cell-sharing risk assessment. The latter must be completed for every new prisoner received into custody on the first night of reception before allocation to his/her cell. Any prisoner identified as being at high or medium risk of harming others has a risk minimisation plan, which, along with the cell-sharing risk assessment, is re-consulted every time that a prisoner moves location within the prison or to another prison.

Prisons

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prison suicides in 2005 involved prisoners in overcrowded cells.

Fiona Mactaggart: In 2005 to date (to 20 October), of the 64 apparent self-inflicted deaths in prisons in England and Wales, 19 (30 per cent.) followed self-harm incidents that occurred in double cells and 45 (70 per cent.) in single cells. 17 of the 19 prisoners who died following self-harm incidents in double cells were being held in prisons that were, in the month of the prisoner's death, operating over their Certified Normal Accommodation (the un-crowded capacity of an establishment after adjusting for accommodation out of use). However, records collated centrally do not indicate whether these 17 prisoners were accommodated in cells certified for one.

Prisons

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners he estimates were HIV positive in each year since 1997, broken down by gender.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information about the number of prisoners with HIV is not collected centrally. The Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) undertook an unlinked, anonymised survey of the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) among the prisoners in eight prisons in England in 1997–98. Prevalence of HIV was 0.36 per cent.

Prisons

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to review the law prohibiting sexual activity in prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: There is no legislation prohibiting sexual activity in prisons.

Prisons

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many mothballed or decommissioned prison places there are within the prison estate, broken down by location;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of returning mothballed or decommissioned prison places into service;
	(3)  if he will take steps to build new prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: A number of places at Ranby (46 places), Dartmoor (98 places) and Glen Parva (120 places) have been permanently decommissioned. It is not economic or feasible to bring these places back into use.
	Two wings at Long Lartin (152 places) have been taken out of use as they are no longer fit for purpose and a decision to refurbish or replace them is under consideration. The relative cost of each option is still to be determined.
	There is a small 12 place mother and baby unit at Askham Grange which is not being currently used as there is no pressure on this facility at present.
	The Weare, a 400-place prison ship, was also closed in August 2005, but no decision about its future has yet been taken. There are no plans, at present, to build new prisons.

Prisons

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many new prisons have been built by the Government since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Government have opened nine new prisons since 1997.

Prisons

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many mothers have been refused a place in a prison mother and baby unit in each of the last three years.

Fiona Mactaggart: This information has not been routinely kept for the last three years. However, since April 2005, quarterly figures have been collated.
	The first available figures, for the period April to September 2005, show that a total of 15 women were refused a place in a Prison Service mother and baby unit.

Prisons

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison places he has planned for each year up to 2012.

Fiona Mactaggart: There is a funded building programme to increase operational capacity to 79,100 by June 2006 and 80,400 by 2007. We continue to investigate options for providing further increases in capacity.

Prisons

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons in England and Wales have been free from illegal drug use in each of the last eight years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The mandatory drug testing (MDT) programme monitors levels of drug misuse. Prisoners are tested routinely for a panel of seven illegal drugs. No prison, in the past eight years, has been entirely free of illegal drugs.

Prisons

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being held in each prison in Wales; and what the maximum capacity of each is.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 28 October 2005
	Details of the population and the useable operational capacity of each prison in Wales (as at 14 October 2005) is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Establishment Operational capacity Population 
		
		
			 Cardiff 754 754 
			 Parc 1,036 1,032 
			 Swansea 425 (45)428 
			 Frescoed 170 167 
			 Usk 250 247 
		
	
	(45) The population figure for Swansea includes five prisoners who are authorised to be absent. Authorised absences mean that although prisoners are recorded as part of the establishments population they are either being held in outside facilities for medical treatment or assessment, or have been released on temporary licence for resettlement or compassionate reasons.

Race for Justice Project

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Race for Justice Project; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: An evaluation has been commissioned locally for certain elements of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Race for Justice Project. The findings of this report will be used as a 'lessons learned' for future work and a focus for the next stage of the Race for Justice Project on communityengagement.
	The evaluation report is due to be submitted to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Criminal Justice Board in November, along with the two year report of the Project overall. Both will then be published to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Race Group and Office for Criminal Justice Reform Race Unit and will be available upon request.

Reoffending

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners released from HMP Wandsworth have reoffended within two years of release in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by (a) age, (b) ethnicity and (c) faith.

Fiona Mactaggart: Reconviction rates, which are used as a proxy measure for reoffending, are only available at national level. The most recent data show that 61 per cent. of prisoners released from prison in 2001 were reconvicted of a standard list offence within two years. Information on reconviction by ethnicity and faith is not available at this time.
	Further information—including a breakdown of reconviction by sex and age—are published in 'Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2003'. These publications are available on the Home Office website (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/index.html) and the House of Commons Library.

Replica Guns

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of firearms seized by police were replica guns which had been converted to be able to fire live ammunition in the last period for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many random inspection visits were made to each secure training centre in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Secure Training Centres are inspected by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) (formerly the Social Services Inspectorate)) and Ofsted. The number of random inspections in each of the past five years is set out in the accompanying table. In addition to these, each centre receives a full (3–4 day) annual inspection by CSCI, accompanied by Ofsted.
	
		Random inspections of secure training centres
		
			  2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 
		
		
			 Medway 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Rainsbrook 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Hassockfield 0 1 0 0 0 
			 Oakhill 1 2 Opened August 2004

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment is made of CCTV footage taken of residents in secure training centres.

Fiona Mactaggart: CCTV footage is assessed by senior members of the Secure Training Centre operator's staff, to evaluate an event or incident either as it occurs, or following a complaint. Such footage will also be made available to the local child protection team and/or to the police in connection with the investigation of a complaint, and may be used as evidence in criminal proceedings. CCTV footage may also be used by the operator for training purposes.
	In addition, the Youth Justice Board's Secure Training Centre Performance Monitor may view video footage to help establish the facts in relation to a complaint, or to a reported incident, in order to decide whether the matter should be referred to the local child protection team, if that has not already been done.

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring of residents by CCTV takes place in secure training centres.

Fiona Mactaggart: Secure Training Centre operators use CCTV monitoring on site for the purpose of maintaining the security of the premises, preventing crime and assisting with the investigation of crime if a crime is committed. The system is also designed to give confidence to trainees, staff and visitors that they are in a secure environment.
	CCTV is used to record activity for security and control purposes—for example in the movement of trainees around the centre—and is monitored from a control room, by trained staff, 24 hours a day.
	All individuals entering the centre are made aware, by prominent signs, that they are entering an area where CCTV recording is operating. The cameras do not invade the privacy of trainees inside their bedrooms but do record all movements into and out of each bedroom. All procedures are in line with the Data Protection Act.
	There is no legislative requirement for CCTV coverage in Secure Training Centres.

Secure Training Centres

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young people are in secure training centres, broken down by ethnic origin.

Fiona Mactaggart: The table gives a breakdown by ethnic origin of the young people placed in secure training centres on 10 October 2005.
	
		Breakdown of secure training centre trainees by ethnic origin as at 10 October 2005
		
			 Ethnicity Hassockfield STC Medway STC Oakhill STC Rainsbrook STC Grand total 
		
		
			 Asian, Bangladeshi — — 1 — 1 
			 Asian, Indian — — 1 2 3 
			 Asian, Pakistani — — 1 — 1 
			 Asian, Other — 2 — 2 4 
			 Black, African — 4 1 2 7 
			 Black, Other — 1 2 1 4 
			 Black, Caribbean — 7 — 3 10 
			 Mixed, Other 1 1 — — 2 
			 Mixed, White and Asian — — — 1 1 
			 Mixed, White and Black African — 1 1 — 2 
			 Mixed, White and Black Caribbean — 6 6 11 23 
			 Not Available 4 2 1 3 10 
			 Other Ethnic Group — 2 — 1 3 
			 White, British 36 44 41 44 165 
			 White, Irish — — — 2 2 
			 White, Other — — 2 — 2 
			 Grand total 41 70 57 72 240

Sex Offenders

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research has been evaluated on (a) inmate and prison staff perceptions of sex offenders and (b) the influence of such perceptions on sex offenders' participation in and completion of sex offender treatment programmes.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Prison Service has undertaken research into the reasons why offenders choose not to participate in the Sex Offender Treatment Programme in prison. As part of this work, the perceptions of both staff and prisoners and their influence on participation in the programme were considered. The Prison Service is implementing a strategy to address the issues identified by the research, with the aim of reducing the numbers refusing treatment.

Speeding

Tony Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions for speeding which have not relied upon speed camera evidence have been brought in each of the last five years.

Fiona Mactaggart: Available information taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database are given in the table from 1999–2003 (latest available). 2004 data will be available early in 2006.
	
		Proceedings at magistrates courts for speeding offences(46) not detected by camera, England and Wales, 1999–2003
		
			  Number of offences 
		
		
			 1999 131,310 
			 2000 118,497 
			 2001 104,344 
			 2002 90,164 
			 2003 91,285 
		
	
	(46) Offences under the Road Traffic regulation Act 1984 ss. 16, 81, 84, 86, 88 & 89; Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regs. 1973; Parks Regulation (Amendment) Act 1926—byelaws made thereunder.
	Note:
	Coverage and recording practice affecting the statistics—It is known that for some police force areas, the reporting of court proceedings in particular those relating to summary motoring offences, may be less than complete.

Terrorism

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been (a) arrested and (b) detained under the Terrorism Acts, broken down by ethnic origin.

Hazel Blears: Statistics on the number of arrests under the Terrorism Act 2000 and the outcomes of those arrests, are published on the Home Office website on the following link: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/terrorism-act/Statistics on the ethnic origin of those arrested, charged or convicted under the Terrorism Act 2000 are not available because this information is not centrally collated.

Under-age Drinking (Gravesham)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sum in fines was imposed for the sale of alcohol to under-18s in Gravesham in 2003.

Hazel Blears: The sum of fines imposed in 2003 for the sale of alcohol to under-18s in Gravesham was £950. This figure relates to Dartford and Gravesham adult court for the offence; Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to persons under 18 for consumption on the premises".

Vandalism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of vandalism in each local authority in the last period for which figures are available.

Hazel Blears: Such estimates have not been made for each local authority area.

Victims Code of Practice

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress of the consultation exercise on the Victims Code of Practice.

Fiona Mactaggart: The final Code of Practice for Victims of Crime was laid before Parliament on 19 October 2005. A summary of responses to the consultation on the code, which ended on 30 May 2005, was also published on the same day. The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime will come into force in April 2006.

Visas (Poojaris)

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to make a decision on the rules on granting visas to poojaris following his Department's consultation on visas for ministers of religion; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 27 October 2005, Official Report, column 538W.

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many temporary staff are employed in each young offenders institution.

Fiona Mactaggart: Information on the number of casual staff, staff on fixed term contracts and agency staff within each young offender institution is contained in the following table. Figures are provided on a full-time equivalent basis for 30 September 2005.
	
		
			 Young offender institution Casuals Fixed-term appointments Agency staff Total temporary staff 
		
		
			 Aylesbury 4.0 — — 4.0 
			 Brinsford 11.6 2.7 2.0 16.3 
			 Castington — 8.0 — 8.0 
			 Deerbolt 5.7 — 1.0 6.7 
			 Feltham 0.6 13.9 — 14.5 
			 Glen Parva 4.3 2.0 6.0 12.3 
			 Hindley 10.5 — — 10.5 
			 Lancaster Farms 1.6 1.0 4.0 6.6 
			 Northallerton 6.0 — — 6.0 
			 Portland 4.0 11.4 — 15.4 
			 Reading 5.4 0.8 — 6.2 
			 Rochester 3.0 1.0 1.0 5.0 
			 Stoke Heath 5.0 11.5 — 16.5 
			 Swinfen Hall 19.0 24.1 — 43.1 
			 Thorn Cross 9.0 1.0 — 10.0 
			 Total 89.8 77.3 14.0 181.1

Young Offenders

Rudi Vis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of days of staff sickness absense was in each young offenders institution in 2004–05.

Fiona Mactaggart: The first table shows the average number of working days, lost due to staff sickness in all young offender institutions in 2004–05.
	The second table shows the average number of working days lost due to staff sickness in all public sector Prison Service juvenile establishments in 2004–05. Information on the privately operated juvenile prison Ashfield young offender institution, is not available, as this is commercial in confidence.
	
		Table 1: Average number of working days lost per staff member per year in young offender institutions in 2004–05
		
			 Establishment Name Number 
		
		
			 Aylesbury 13.1 
			 Brinsford 11.3 
			 Castington 12.7 
			 Deerbolt 13.5 
			 Feltham 13.7 
			 Glen Parva 9.7 
			 Hindley 21.8 
			 Lancaster Farms 14.7 
			 Northallerton 18.4 
			 Portland 16.6 
			 Reading 13.1 
			 Rochester 14.1 
			 Stoke Heath 15.9 
			 Swinfen Hall 9.3 
			 Thorn Cross 16.7 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Average number of working days lost per staff member per year in all public sector Prison Service juvenile establishments in 2004–05.
		
			 Establishment Name Number 
		
		
			 Huntercombe 14.5 
			 Warren Hill 10.9 
			 Werrington 14.4 
			 Wetherby 13.8

Young Offenders

John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug addicted young offenders from Easington constituency have been sentenced in each of the last three years.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Court Proceedings Database that is used for Home Office sentencing statistics does not include information on whether an offender is addicted to drugs at the time of sentence.

Young Offenders

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what flexibility local magistrates have in deciding whether to publish the names of youths (a) with antisocial behaviour orders and (b) convicted of other offences.

Hazel Blears: Under the Children and Young Person's Act 1933, section 49, automatic reporting restrictions apply in all youth courts. It has been an established principle in British law since 1933 that juvenile defendants should not have their identity made public in criminal cases unless the court feels that the public interest requires it. The courts do not routinely grant such applications and each case is considered on its own merits.
	There are no automatic reporting restrictions on antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) as they are civil orders. However, courts do have the power to impose reporting restrictions in ASBO cases and where they are imposed, they must be adhered to.
	Breach of an ASBO is a criminal offence and until recently young people who breached their ASBOs were protected by the automatic reporting restrictions of the youth court. However, provisions in the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 removed these automatic restrictions which means ASBO breaches by young people can now be reported. Reporting restrictions have only been lifted on cases of Breach of ASBOs in the youth court, they remain in place for other youth court matters.

Zimbabwean Farmers

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Zimbabwean farmers have been granted asylum in the UK since 2001.

Tony McNulty: The requested information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Information on the occupation of asylum seekers is not routinely collected as part of the processing of asylum applications and is not centrally collated.
	Information on initial decisions and appeal outcomes is published quarterly and annually. The next publication covering the third quarter of 2005 will be available on 22 November 2005 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

HEALTH

Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" Consultation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is for the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation exercise; and how much has been spent on it to date.

Liam Byrne: The estimated central cost of the nationally organised elements of the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation, excluding Department of Health staff costs, is £1,245,000. Funding it comes from the Department's running costs budget. Under resource accounting, £975,000 has been spent, or assigned for expenditure.

Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" Consultation

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be formally consulted as part of the Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation exercise.

Liam Byrne: The Your Health, Your Care, Your Say" consultation is designed to consult the public on what they want from community health and social care services. Alongside this public consultation, a wide range of health and social care stakeholders and staff are being consulted.

Acute Hospitals (Bed Utilisation)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average percentage level of bed utilisation in acute hospitals was in each year since 2000.

Liam Byrne: Beds data are available at trust level. The table shows the average occupancy rate at acute trusts from 2000–01 to 2004–05.
	
		Average occupancy rate, acute trusts, England, 2000–01 to 2004–05
		
			  Average occupancy rate (percentage) 
		
		
			 2000–01 83.4 
			 2001–02 84.3 
			 2002–03 85.0 
			 2003–04 85.4 
			 2004–05 84.4 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health form KH03.

Allergies

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist consultants in allergies there were in the NHS in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The number of medical consultants within the allergy specialities since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		England
		
			 Headcount 
			  Allergy Immunology (with allergy) Immunology Total 
		
		
			 1997 — 22 41 63 
			 1998 — 20 41 61 
			 1999 — 22 39 61 
			 2000 6 — 49 55 
			 2001 8 — 49 57 
			 2002 17 — 63 80 
			 2003 20 — 63 83 
			 2004 26 — 67 93

Bed Closures

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what effects she estimates planned community hospital and bed closures will have on NHS expenditure in the financial year (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07.

Liam Byrne: Making decisions on local healthcare provision is a matter for primary care trusts and strategic health authorities (SHAs) in consultation with the local population. Therefore, the Department is not in a position to estimate what effects local decisions on any changes in service will have on overall national health service expenditure. It remains the responsibility of SHAs to deliver overall financial balance for their local health communities and to ensure each and every body achieves financial balance.

Budget Deficits (Oxfordshire)

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the reasons for (a) the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust's, (b) the Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare Trust's and (c) Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust's budget deficit for 2005–06.

Rosie Winterton: It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities to deliver financial balance for their local health communities. This includes working with organisations in deficit to ascertain the reasons for the deficit, and to manage the position locally in relation to the recovery of deficits. Any recovery plans developed by organisations must address the issue of making good the deficits in future years.
	The Oxfordshire national health service bodies work in partnership with the Thames Valley strategic health authority, which has the expertise on how best to manage funds within the health economy.

Cataract Operations

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cataract operations have been performed by the independent sector on behalf of the NHS in each year since 1997; how many of these operations in each of these years have required the national health service to provide a follow-up service to patients with needs relating directly to their operation; and what the mean cost has been to the NHS of each such follow-up procedure each year.

Liam Byrne: As part of the centrally procured independent sector treatment centre (ISTC) programme, Netcare has delivered over 18,000 ophthalmology procedures since February 2004. The Department does not collect figures on the cost of follow up treatment that may take place in the national health service, but all independent sector providers, working under the ISTC programme, have agreed local level service agreements to ensure suitable follow-up care arrangements for patients.

Children's Diet

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated for educating and advising parents on the benefits of a healthy diet for their children in 2005–06.

Caroline Flint: A total budget of £2 million has been allocated for the 5 A DAY programme for 2005–06, which includes promotion and education of the 5 A DAY message to parents and other population groups on the benefits of a healthy diet for their children. Also, as part of phase one of healthy start in Devon and Cornwall, approximately £50,000 has been allocated towards producing materials for beneficiaries that contain information and guidance on nutrition and healthy eating for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. Another £500,000 has been allocated in 2005–06 for the obesity social marketing campaign promised in the White Paper Choosing health". The campaign will take an early focus on children under 11 and their influences, primarily parents/carers.
	There is an allocation of £200 million over the next three years for the improvement of school food, which could be used to educate pupils and parents in healthier eating at school. In addition, the School Food Trust is currently being set up with a budget of £15 million to support schools in making the transformation to healthy meals, giving independent support and advice to schools and parents.
	The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is also a major source of information on food and nutrition. Although the FSA has not specifically allocated any resource to advise parents in this manner, their eatwell website (available at www.eatwell.gov.uk), together with life stage healthy eating leaflets and media features, continues to be an important tool that the Government use to provide parents with practical healthy eating advice for children and young people.

Clinical Negligence Payments

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what clinical negligence payments have been made by hospital trusts in (a) Essex and (b) London since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Clinical negligence payments made by hospital trusts in Essex and London since April 2002 are shown in the table. Information on payments made before April 2002 is not held centrally.
	
		Clinical negligence payments made by hospital trusts in Essex and London, 2002–05
		
			  Total (£) 
			 Payment year Essex London 
		
		
			 2002–03 6,424,844 50,650,510 
			 2003–04 6,343,622 69,814,682 
			 2004–05 12,168,631 82,870,020

Consultant Referrals

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times for consultant referrals were for each year since 2000.

Liam Byrne: The median time waited for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant for each year since 2000 is shown in the table.
	
		Average waiting times for consultant referrals: 1999–2000 to 2004–05
		
			  Financial year(47) Out-patient median time waited in weeks (commissioner based) 
		
		
			 1999–2000 7.73 
			 2000–01 7.46 
			 2001–02 7.63 
			 2002–03 7.40 
			 2003–04 7.10 
			 2004–05 7.00 
		
	
	(47) Fourth quarter data.

Correspondence

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many letters to her Department from hon. Members in session (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (i) one month old, (ii) two months old, (iii) three months old, (iv) four months old and (v) over six months old.

Jane Kennedy: The Department has answered all letters from hon. and right hon. Members received before 18 May 2005.
	As at 18 July, the Department had a total of 868 letters from hon. and right hon. Members to be answered. Of these:
	846 (97.4 percent.) were received in that month (19 June to 18 July inclusive), and so were up to one month old;
	21 (2.5 percent.) were received in the previous month (19 May to 18 June inclusive), and so were up to two months old;
	One (0.1 percent.) was received on 18 May and so was over two months old.
	The Department currently answers over 97 percent., of all letters from hon. and right hon. Members within 20 working days.
	The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members/peers correspondence. The report for 2004 was published on 6 April 2005, Official Report, column, 137–40ws.

Defect and Failure Reporting System

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2663W, on the Defect and Failure Reporting System, what the main categories of defects were; and how many defects there were in each of the previous years for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Defect and Failure Reporting System: 1997–2004
		
			 Defect and failure categories 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 
		
		
			 Ambulances and similar vehicles, tugs, etc. 1 0 0 0 1 3 5 2 5 4 
			 Buildings, building components and lifts 7 6 3 0 0 6 9 6 14 4 
			 Catering 5 3 5 0 3 3 20 21 29 17 
			 Communications equipment 0 6 2 0 3 2 2 3 3 8 
			
			 Engineering plant and services   
			 Boilers 0 1 3 0 4 3 4 3 4 8 
			 Electrical installations 12 7 7 3 8 11 18 25 22 25 
			 Generators 0 0 2 0 4 3 1 0 3 0 
			 Heating 1 1 3 0 1 2 2 0 1 0 
			 Other fixed plant 1 6 0 0 3 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Ventilating 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 3 2 6 
			 Water and drainage 0 4 0 0 0 0 1 3 2 2 
			
			 Fire protection installations and equipment 4 2 1 1 1 2 3 5 3 7 
			 Fixed luminaires, including operating and examination lamps 1 2 6 0 2 6 15 5 11 10 
			 Incinerators and other clinical waste treatment equipment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 Installation aspects of fume cupboards and micro biological safety cabinets 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Laundries 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 3 2 
			 Lightning protection and electrostatic discharges 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 
			 Maintenance and cleaning 2 3 0 0 1 2 2 2 10 11 
			 Miscellaneous 14 14 26 2 20 19 21 23 21 14 
			 Permanently installed sterilizers, bedpan washers and disposal units 2 2 7 1 5 5 11 13 21 19 
			 Piped medical gas and vacuum installations, VIE's and anaesthetic gas scavenging systems 7 8 9 5 10 10 31 8 10 6 
			 Workshops 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 
			 Total for year 58 67 76 12 67 81 146 125 167 144 
		
	
	
		
			 Defect and failure categories 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 
		
		
			 Ambulances and similar vehicles, tugs, etc. 7 13 4 1 1 4 4 2 2 2 
			 Buildings, building components and lifts 0 3 1 2 8 7 7 4 5 7 
			 Catering 22 15 15 30 28 33 19 15 12 17 
			 Communications equipment 4 0 3 2 10 5 6 2 3 3 
			
			 Engineering plant and services   
			 Boilers 6 13 8 26 6 13 10 4 6 6 
			 Electrical installations 16 5 18 12 13 14 11 16 23 20 
			 Generators 4 1 2 5 7 7 2 5 9 8 
			 Heating 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Other fixed plant 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Ventilating 2 1 3 3 2 1 0 2 2 2 
			 Water and drainage 2 0 2 4 0 4 4 0 1 0 
			
			 Fire protection installations and equipment 1 8 12 12 6 5 2 6 8 8 
			 Fixed luminaires, including operating and examination lamps 7 16 16 13 11 7 18 9 15 10 
			 Incinerators and other clinical waste treatment equipment 3 0 0 2 1 2 2 0 1 2 
			 Installation aspects of fume cupboards and micro biological safety cabinets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Laundries 6 2 7 12 2 8 3 7 4 8 
			 Lightning protection and electrostatic discharges 2 3 14 5 6 21 9 6 5 4 
			 Maintenance and cleaning 10 16 19 26 15 10 7 7 5 5 
			 Miscellaneous 13 18 23 9 12 12 12 7 2 10 
			 Permanently installed sterilizers, bedpan washers and disposal units 20 16 23 37 34 23 35 6 17 25 
			 Piped medical gas and vacuum installations, VIE's and anaesthetic gas scavenging systems 8 7 7 13 15 6 13 10 10 17 
			 Workshops 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Total for year 133 137 177 214 177 182 164 108 130 154

Departmental Records

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics her Department records relating to applications for vacancies for (a) junior doctor, (b) pre-registration house officer and (c) senior house officer posts; and what recent assessment she has made of the competition for jobs at each level.

Liam Byrne: Information on applications for vacancies in respect of junior doctors, pre-registration house officer (PRHO) and senior house officer (SHO) posts is not collected centrally.
	Entry into the training grades is competitive and there has always been healthy competition for posts.
	The number of specialist registrar (SpR) posts available is based on the future demand for trained specialists in each specialty determined by service demand and the impact of key government objectives.
	We are aware that the number of applicants for most SHO posts has risen this year and it is likely that this is especially so for SHO posts in popular areas such as London and in popular specialties such as surgery. However, some of the reports of the difficulty in obtaining SHO posts have been exaggerated.
	We value highly those doctors in whose education and training we have invested heavily, and recognise that they have made a substantial commitment to the medical profession and a future career in the national health service. We want these doctors to progress and develop their careers in the NHS where we see them as the doctors of the future, delivering modernised patient centred services.

Design Pilot Projects

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much her Department is paying for each Inquiry by design pilot project undertaken by The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment.

Jane Kennedy: The Department commissioned The Prince's Foundation to undertake three pilot inquiry by designs for the national health service. The Department has provided the following funding for the pilots:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 Cherry Knowle Hospital 70,000 
			 Liverpool Children's Hospital 65,000 
			 Sutton Health Campus (critical care centre) 60,000

Design Pilot Projects

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when The Prince's Foundation for the Built Environment was commissioned to undertake an inquiry by design pilot for the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: NHS Estates, an Executive agency of the Department, first commissioned The Prince's Foundation to undertake an enquiry by design (EbD) in 2003. Following the success of the first pilot EbD, the Department commissioned a further two pilot EbD's in 2004.

Drugs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the NHS has spent on drugs in each of the last eight years; and how many prescriptions were made.

Jane Kennedy: The national health service drugs spend for England from 1996–97 to 2003–04 is shown in table 2.
	The number of prescription items dispensed in the community, rounded to the nearest million, is shown in table 1.
	
		Table 1: Prescription items dispensed in the community: 1997–2004
		
			  Number (million) 
		
		
			 1997 500 
			 1998 513 
			 1999 530 
			 2000 552 
			 2001 587 
			 2002 617 
			 2003 650 
			 2004 686 
		
	
	Notes:
	Prescription information is taken from the PCA system, supplied by the Prescription Pricing Authority (PPA), and is based on a full analysis of all prescriptions dispensed in the community i.e. by community pharmacists and appliance contractors, dispensing doctors, and prescriptions submitted by prescribing doctors for items personally administered in England. Also included are prescriptions written in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man but dispensed in England. The data does not cover drugs dispensed in hospitals, including mental health trusts, or private prescriptions.
	Source:
	Prescription cost analysis (PCA) data.
	
		Table 2: NHS drug spend for England: 1996–97 to 2003–04
		
			  Primary care 
			  Gross Net Hospital and community health services 
			  Outturn (£ million) Growth (percentage) Outturn (£ million) Growth (percentage) Outturn (£ million) Growth (percentage) 
		
		
			 1996–97 3,808 8.6 3,774 7.9 961 10.0 
			 1997–98 4,107 7.8 4,085 8.2 1,088 13.2 
			 1998–99 4,356 6.1 4,339 6.2 1,211 11.3 
			 1999–2000 4,851 11.4 4,833 11.4 1,369 13.0 
			 2000–01 5,160 — 5,158 — 1,530 11.8 
			 2001–02 5,714 10.8 5,707 10.6 1,740 13.7 
			 2002–03 6,345 11.0 6,342 11.1 2,013 15.7 
			 2003–04 6,963 9.7 6,961 9.8 2,311 14.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Total drug spend 
			  Gross Net 
			  Outturn (£ million) Growth (percentage) Outturn (£ million) Growth (percentage) 
		
		
			 1996–97 4,769 8.9 4,735 8.3 
			 1997–98 5,195 8.9 5,173 9.3 
			 1998–99 5,567 7.2 5,550 7.3 
			 1999–2000 6,220 11.7 6,202 11.7 
			 2000–01 6,690 7.5 6,688 — 
			 2001–02 7,454 11.4 7,447 11.3 
			 2002–03 8,358 12.1 8,355 12.2 
			 2003–04 9,274 11.0 9,272 11.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The total actual cost of drugs and appliances prescribed by general practitioners/nurses within England plus any central budget expenditure or locally authorised payments. NB. Primary care actual drug cost = Net ingredient cost + VAT + container costs—discount allowance.
	2. Primary care NET figures include pharmaceutical price regulation scheme (PPRS) receipt savings.
	3. Hospital and community health services expenditure on drugs includes medical gases.
	4. From 2000–01, figures are in resource terms, prior to this figures are in cash terms. Cash figures relate to February to January prescribing due to delay in prescription processing and payment calculations. Resource figures represent the actual cost between April to March.
	Source:
	PPA, England.

Drugs

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are used in deciding on the referral of a new, licensed drug to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: Information about the criteria used in deciding on the referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence of a new, licensed drug is available on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/nice/consultation2002.

GP Practices

Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GP practices have started to use the Choose and Book" system since its inception, broken down by (a) strategic health authority and (b) primary care trust.

Liam Byrne: The information requested, as in late October, has been placed in the Library, but this information changes daily as more and more general practitioner practices 'go live' with Choose and Book".

Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings she has had to review the operation of section 27 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003.

Liam Byrne: Ministers have had no meetings to review the operation of section 27 of the Health and Social Care Act 2003. Monitor, the statutory name of which is the independent regulator of NHS foundation trusts, is currently consulting on how it carries out its responsibilities under section 27 of the Act.

Health Services (Rural Areas)

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation on the costs incurred in delivering health services to sparsely populated rural areas, with particular reference to (a) the Morecambe Bay NHS hospitals trust and (b) the Morecambe Bay primary care trust; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA) makes recommendations to Ministers in advance of every round of revenue allocations to primary care trusts. ACRA is an independent body, made up of national health service managers, academics and general practitioners. ACRA does not advise on the effects of the weighted capitation formula for individual NHS organisations.
	The role of ACRA is to oversee the development of the weighted capitation formula to ensure equity in the allocation of resources to the NHS. Rurality has been looked at by ACRA on a number of occasions. As a result of work commissioned by ACRA to look at the effect of rurality on the cost of providing certain services, an adjustment was made to the weighted capitation formula in respect of the unavoidable geographical cost differences in the provision of emergency ambulance services. The emergency ambulance cost adjustment was introduced from the 1998–99 health authority allocations.

HIV Tests

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many HIV tests in each genito-urinary medicine clinic in each London strategic health authority were (a) offered and (b) taken in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Jane Kennedy: The numbers of HIV tests offered and taken in the genito-urinary medicine (GUM) clinics within the London strategic health authorities (SHAs) are shown in the table. The dataset used to compile this data was taken from the KC60 return, which is made by all GUM clinics to the health protection agency. Only those tests offered and taken in GUM clinics are recorded in the KC60 return, testing undertaken in other clinical settings, such as general practice, are not recorded in the dataset. Data was only shown for 2003 and 2004, as the KC60 code that records sexual health screen with a HIV test (S2) was only introduced in 2003.
	The data do not represent the number of HIV tests offered and taken up by the population resident within each SHA, as many patients cross health boundaries to access GUM clinics. In addition, the gender and sexual orientation mix varies between clinics. Some clinics are attended by a high number of men who have sex with men and consequently this influences the number of HIV tests offered and taken.
	
		Numbers of HIV testsoffered(48) and taken(49) in GUM clinics bySHA, London: 2003and 2004
		
			 SHA/Clinic name Offered/Tested 2003 2004 
		
		
			 North Central London
			 Archway Sexual Health Clinic Offered 5,597 6,676 
			  Tested 4,323 4,991 
			 Clare Simpson House Offered 1,526 3,052 
			  Tested 1,262 2,313 
			 Moorfields Eye Hospital Offered 109 117 
			  Tested 86 90 
			 Mortimer Market Centre Offered 14,432 16,635 
			  Tested 13,136 14,895 
			 St Ann's Hospital Offered 4,392 6,489 
			  Tested 2,495 3,454 
			 The Royal Free Hospital Offered 3,950 3,420 
			  Tested 2,933 2,672 
			 Town Clinic Offered 2,210 2,716 
			  Tested 1,410 1,668 
			 
			 North East London
			 Forest Healthcare Offered 1,762 1,426 
			  Tested 1,660 1,094 
			 Homerton Hospital Offered 11,888 10,141 
			  Tested 8,157 7,011 
			 John Scott Health Centre, Choices N4 Offered 17 90 
			  Tested 17 84 
			 Newham General Hospital Offered 3,429 5,783 
			  Tested 2,492 3,251 
			 Oldchurch Hospital Offered 881 601 
			  Tested 627 566 
			 St Bartholomew's Hospital Offered 4,347 5,419 
			  Tested 1,141 2,987 
			 Sydenham Centre Offered 722 750 
			  Tested 657 717 
			 The Royal London Hospital Offered 8,947 8,362 
			  Tested 2,412 563 
			 
			 North West London
			 Central Middlesex Hospital, Patrick Clements Clinic Offered 6,366 6,829 
			  Tested 4,269 4,690 
			 Charing Cross Hospital Offered 5,720 8,490 
			  Tested 4,278 5,151 
			 Ealing Hospital, Pasteur Suite Offered 1,941 4,184 
			  Tested 1,439 3,273 
			 Jefferiss Wing Offered 17,244 20,411 
			  Tested 12,663 14,783 
			 John Hunter Clinic, 4th floor Offered 9,051 9,750 
			  Tested 6,425 7,548 
			 Northwick Park Hospital Offered 3,806 3,506 
			  Tested 2,664 2,777 
			 South Westminster Centre Offered 6,566 8,705 
			  Tested 5,285 7,020 
			 Tudor Wing, Hillingdon Hospital Offered 2,091 1,940 
			  Tested 1,696 1,609 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital Offered 3,198 6,260 
			  Tested 2,999 3,984 
			 
			 South East London
			 Beckenham Hospital Offered 2,708 3,268 
			  Tested 1,551 1,915 
			 King's College Hospital(50) Offered 12,982 17,474 
			  Tested 6,453 8,032 
			 Lloyd Clinic, Second Floor Offered 5,866 4,910 
			  Tested 4,175 3,594 
			 St. Thomas's Hospital Offered 16,798 15,652 
			  Tested 9,672 9,779 
			 Trafalgar Clinic Offered 5,341 5,832 
			  Tested 3,816 4,266 
			 South West London
			 Kingston Hospital Offered 4,034 5,663 
			  Tested 3,463 4,589 
			 Mayday University Hospital Offered 4,063 9,628 
			  Tested 2,136 3,187 
			 Queen Mary's University Hospital Offered 4,913 4,954 
			  Tested 2,553 2,585 
			 St. Helier Hospital Offered 4,019 4,511 
			  Tested 1,694 2,069 
			 The Courtyard Clinic Offered 15,874 16,265 
			  Tested 10,882 8,984 
		
	
	(48) Offered defined as KC60 codes S2 (HIV antibody test and sexual health screen) plus P1A (HIV antibody test no sexual health screen) plus P1B (HIV antibody test offered and refused).
	(49) Test taken defined as S2+P1A.
	(50) King's College Hospital does not collect information for code S2.

Hospital Admissions (Tariffs)

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure that the structure of tariffs does not provide an incentive to NHS trusts to structure a patient's course of treatment to involve multiple admissions to hospital, except where this is clinically appropriate; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Under payment by results (PbR), providers of national health service services will be paid at the appropriate national tariff rate for each spell. A spell is the care provided by a single trust between the admission and discharge, or death, of a patient.
	The Department is currently consulting on a code of conduct for all organisations involved with PbR which makes clear that the interests of patients are paramount. The code will be supported by the introduction of an assurance regime, currently being developed with the Audit Commission, which will enable commissioners of treatment to monitor, among other things, the appropriateness of admissions.

Influenza

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deliveries of Tamiflu she expects to receive in each month until the planned number of courses have been stockpiled.

Caroline Flint: The delivery schedule indicates that we will receive 800,000 adult treatment courses per month. We are due to have an additional 900,000 courses (1,700,000 in total) delivered in March 2006, an additional 800,000 courses (1,600,000 in total) in July and August 2006, and an additional 462,000 (1,262,000 in total) in September to complete the order. The difference between 14,162,000 and the 14.6 million courses quoted is represented by powder to make up suspension for children.

Information Standards Board (Data)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her Answer of 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2757W, on data, when the first data collection will commence for each of the datasets approved by the Information Standards Board to date.

Liam Byrne: Data collection has already commenced for elements of all datasets that have been approved by the NHS Information Standards Board.

Lichfield Hospital

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what (a) medical departments and services and (b) number of in-patient beds will be provided at the new hospital under construction in Lichfield;
	(2)  what plans there are for the provision of a minor injuries unit at the new hospital under construction in Lichfield; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  if she will list (a) the medical services and in-patient beds provided by the Lichfield Victoria and Lichfield St Michael's and Hammerwich hospitals and (b) medical services and in-patient beds which will be provided by the new hospital under construction in Lichfield.

Rosie Winterton: The services currently available at the Hammerwich, Victoria and St Michael's hospitals will be reprovided at the new hospital which is currently under construction. This development will have 52 beds as well as a minor injuries unit and a renal dialysis unit. The capital cost for this project is £17 million and is being provided centrally. It is expected to be completed by late 2006 and to start receiving patients from early 2007.

Lung Cancer

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding she has made available for research into lung cancer in each year since 1997; and what percentage of the overall cancer research budget this represented in each case.

Jane Kennedy: The main agency through which the Government support medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.
	MRC spend figures for research on lung cancer are shown in the table.
	
		
			  Amount (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 0.093 
			 1998–99 0.268 
			 1999–2000 0.184 
			 2000–01 0.581 
			 2001–02 1.6 
			 2002–03 1.8 
			 2003–04 2.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Scientific definitions have evolved over time and the MRC has improved methods of capturing data and identifying spend. For these reasons spend figures from one year to the next are not always comparable, for example, spend on fellowships was not included before 2000–01.
	It is often the case that research classified as being undertaken in one cancer site will have implications in another. In addition, the MRC funds a considerable amount of basic underpinning research that is excluded from site-specific figures.
	The main part of the Department's expenditure on health research is allocated to and managed by national health service organisations. These organisations account for their use of the allocations they receive from the Department in an annual research and development report. The reports identify total, aggregated expenditure on national priority areas, including cancer. Details of individual projects supported in the NHS, including those concerned with site-specific cancers, can be found on the national research register at www.dh.gov.uk/research.

Lymphoedema

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with lymphoedema in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) England in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Data on the incidence of lymphoedema are not available.

Mental Health Services

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialists in cognitive behavioural therapy are employed for the treatment of mental illness in the NHS expressed as (a) headcount and (b) whole-time equivalents.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Myasthenia Gravis

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding her Department has allocated to the research of myasthenia gravis.

Jane Kennedy: The main agency through which the Government supports medical and clinical research is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC is an independent body, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry via the Office of Science and Technology.
	The MRC is currently funding a five-year senior non-clinical fellowship at a total cost of £913,000 specifically to research disease mechanisms and ribonucleic acid-based therapies for pathogenic mutations at the neuromuscular synapse. This basic study aims to understand the underlying mechanisms behind myasthenia gravis and other similar conditions.
	The MRC has also recently awarded a £205,000 research grant to support a study that aims to investigate a novel therapeutic approach for the silencing of genes causing neuromuscular disease. It is hoped that this research will have widespread application where nucleic acids are contemplated as potential therapeutic agents for muscle or neuromuscular junction disease.
	Over 75 per cent. of the Department's total expenditure on health research is devolved to and managed by NHS organisations. Details of individual projects, including some concerned with myasthenia gravis, can be found on the national research register on the Department's website at www.dh.gov.uk/research.

Neurologists

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many neurologists were practising in the NHS in each of the last four years.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of neurologists practising in the national health service in the United Kingdom is not collected centrally.
	However information on the number of medical staff within the neurology specialty practising in the NHS in England is shown in the table.
	
		Headcount
		
			  All staff Of which: consultants 
		
		
			 2001 751 359 
			 2002 770 366 
			 2003 841 410 
			 2004 902 449

NHS Productivity

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department uses to measure productivity in the NHS.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 20 October 2005
	The Department is currently working with the University of York and the National Institute for Economic and Social Research to develop an improved quality adjusted measure of national health service productivity. Until this work is complete, we are measuring NHS value for money using our interim cost efficiency which compares changes in output with changes in input adjusted for quality expenditure. In 2003–04, this measure suggested that value for money improved by 2.1 per cent.

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received regarding possible anti-competitive practices by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency; from whom she has received such representations; and what assessment she has made of NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency compliance with European Union public procurement directives, with particular reference to its National Framework Agreement for the supply of medical locums.

Jane Kennedy: I am aware that the Recruitment and Employment Confederation expressed concerns last year regarding the use of national framework agreements and its possible impact on small and medium enterprises. There has been regular communication between the confederation and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) to alleviate these concerns.
	In relation to the medical locum framework tendered this year, I understand that there has only been one company who has specifically accused NHS PASA of anti-competitive practices and that this case is still being investigated as part of the internal complaints procedure.
	NHS PASA's role is to provide a centre of excellence of purchasing and supply within the NHS. It fully recognises the pre-eminence of the European Union procurement directives and staff operate in accordance with the agencies operational purchasing procedures which are in line with the directives.
	As part of the NHS PASA's governance arrangements there is an internal audit service provided by Bentley Jennison operating in accordance with Government internal Audit Standards, these audits cover the NHS PASA's adherence to European Union public procurement practices. This program of audits is agreed with the advice of the agency's audit committee who will consider the results of these audits and provide any advice to the chief executive that is felt to be appropriate.
	NHS PASA is also externally audited by BSI Management Systems in order to ensure they are meeting the procurement practices.

NHS Redress Systems

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to reform the NHS systems of redress for individuals who are dissatisfied with the care they have received from the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: The NHS Redress Bill, which contains provisions for establishing an NHS Redress Scheme, was introduced in the House of Lords on 12 October 2005.
	The NHS Redress Scheme is a completely new approach to the handling of clinical negligence cases. Its aims are three-fold:
	to provide a real alternative to litigation for the cases that fall within the scheme, including addressing the delays and legal costs that are part and parcel of the current system,
	placing the emphasis on putting things right for patients as a matter of course and providing the explanation, apologies and reassurance that patients tell us they want,
	contributing to a culture of learning in the national health service, providing impetus for wider service improvement.
	For the first time, the patient is at the heart of the process of responding when things go wrong. An NHS Redress Scheme will ensure a simpler and more effective approach to making things right for patients and ensuring that where there has been clinical negligence, the approach supports proper resolution. To be eligible under the scheme, the incident must arise out of a negligent clinical act or omission in connection with the diagnosis of illness, the care or the treatment of a patient, by a healthcare professional. The liability must arise out of hospital services provided as part of the NHS in England or Wales.
	However, we expect all NHS patients to benefit from the more open, transparent approach when things go wrong and the proactive response to learning from mistakes.
	The detail of how the scheme will work in practice, including the financial limits, time scales, etc, will be included in secondary legislation, which will be published in draft form for consultation following Royal Assent of the NHS Redress Bill.

NHS Trusts

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she plans to take with regards to the NHS trusts which are in deficit and which have not come forward with proposals to eliminate such deficits before the end of the financial year.

Liam Byrne: It is the responsibility of strategic health authorities (SHAs) to deliver overall financial balance for their local health communities, and to ensure that each and every body achieves financial balance.
	SHAs can agree a recovery plan, which phases the recovery of deficits over a number of years. This would require other national health service organisations, within the health economy, to underspend over the same period. Any such arrangements would have to be subject to the agreement of local providers, commissioners and the managing SHA.

NHS Trusts

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  pursuant to the Answer of 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2735W, on NHS trusts (final accounts), when the figures for 2004–05 will be published;
	(2)  pursuant to her Answer of 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2735W, on final accounts, what the equivalent figures are for 2004–05.

Jane Kennedy: The financial position for all national health service organisations, based on the 2004–05 audited accounts information, was made available on the Department's website on 19 September 2005.
	The cumulative breakeven position for NHS trusts in London for 2004–05 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  £ thousand 
			 NHS trusts (England), by strategic health authority (SHA) in London Break-even cumulative position 2004–05 
		
		
			 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospital NHS Trust 20 
			 Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust (19,564) 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust (757) 
			 Barts and The London NHS Trust (1,054) 
			 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 28,754 
			 Camden and Islington Mental Health and Social Care Trust 2,447 
			 Central and North West London Mental Health NHS Trust 5,392 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare Trust (164) 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust (375) 
			 East London and The City Mental Health NHS Trust 235 
			 Epsom and St. Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust (1,736) 
			 Great Ormond St. Hospital for Children NHS Trust 1,771 
			 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 7,577 
			 Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust (18,384) 
			 King's College Hospital NHS Trust (3,766) 
			 Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 481 
			 London Ambulance Service NHS Trust 75 
			 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust (65) 
			 Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 282 
			 North East London Mental Health NHS Trust 333 
			 North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (5,360) 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust (13,546) 
			 Oxleas NHS Trust 1,243 
			 Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust (8,942) 
			 Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust (6,512) 
			 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust (3,165) 
			 Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust (13,148) 
			 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust (3,769) 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (339) 
			 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust (23,596) 
			 St. Mary's NHS Trust (4,570) 
			 South West London and St. George's Mental Health NHS Trust 401 
			 Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust 54 
			 The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust (1,295) 
			 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust (6,646) 
			 The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust (1,500) 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust (1,353) 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust (4,943) 
			 Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 63 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. These figures have been taken from the 2004–05 summarisation schedules. They should be treated as provisional until they are signed off by the National Audit Office/Chief Executive.
	2. In relation to some NHS organisations, the figures for 2003–04 have been restated for prior year adjustments. The organisations affected are:
	Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust (previously showing £4.2 million surplus, now restated to £18 million surplus).
	Ealing Hospital NHS Trust (previously showing £559,000 deficit, now restated to £376,000 deficit).
	3. The following organisations achieved foundation trust status and as a result are not included on the 2004–05 table. NHS foundation trusts do not report their financial position directly to the Department. Monitor has been given responsibility for the regulation of NHS foundation trusts:
	Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
	Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
	The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.
	Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.
	University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS Walk-in Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to commission further research on the cost effectiveness of NHS walk-in-centres.

Liam Byrne: Following the independent evaluation of the initial national health service walk-in centres, which was published in 2002, a further independent evaluation of more recent NHS walk-in centre models is now under way by Sheffield and Bristol universities and is expected to be published in 2006.

NICE

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost of running the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has been in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many people have been employed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Hammersmith and Fulham (Mr. Hands) on 27 June 2005, Official Report, column 1374W, and on 29 June 2005, Official Report, column 1690W. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is an independent body. Figures on the numbers of staff employed by NICE and its accounts can be found in their annual reports on its website at: www.nice.org.uk.

NICE

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence regarding the prescription of Herceptin for the treatment of early stage breast cancer.

Jane Kennedy: Herceptin for early stage breast cancer was referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on 21 July 2005. I have received proposals from NICE for a new more rapid assessment process for single drugs and health technologies. I most recently discussed this issue briefly with the chairman and chief executive of NICE at the Institute's annual accountability review on 13 October.

Non-emergency Operations

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients in (a) Redbridge, (b) Waltham Forest and (c) England received (i) laser eye surgery, (ii) cataract removal, (iii) bladder keyhole surgery, (iv) coronary artery bypass graft, (v) knee replacement, (vi) hip replacement, (vii) ingrown toenail operations and (viii) varicose vein treatment in the last year for which figures are available; and what the average cost was of each operation to the NHS.

Liam Byrne: Data on the costs of national health service hospital services are gathered at healthcare resource group (HRG) level, not at the level of individual procedures. These data are collected as part of the annual reference cost collection.
	The table shows the relevant HRG category aligned with the information requested for the following procedures:
	cataract removal
	bladder keyhole surgery
	coronary artery bypass graft
	knee replacement
	hip replacement
	varicose vein treatment
	All data comes from the 2003–04 reference cost collection.
	Information on laser eye surgery" and ingrown toenail operations" is not shown as these costs are not separately identified within the reference cost collection.
	
		
			Redbridge1 Waltham Forest2 England 
			  HRG  HRG Description  Description  FCEs3  FCEs3  FCEs3 National Average (£) 
		
		
			 B13 Phakoemulsification Cataract Extraction and Insertion of Lens cataract removal 1,530 2,491 276,004 717 
			 B14 Non Phakoemulsification Cataract Surgery cataract removal 2 151 5,567 793 
			 E04 Coronary Bypass coronary artery bypass graft 2 — 19,215 7,131 
			 G13 Cholecystectomy >69 or with complications or comorbidities bladder keyhole surgery 103 31 11,109 2,449 
			 G14 Cholecystectomy <70 without complications or comorbidities bladder keyhole surgery 279 119 36,442 1,723 
			 H04 Primary Knee Replacement knee replacement 386 178 46,585 5,306 
			 H80 Primary Hip Replacement Cemented hip replacement 222 90 36,467 4,750 
			 H81 Primary Hip Replacement Uncemented hip replacement 77 36 6,852 4,603 
			 Q11 Varicose Vein Procedures varicose vein treatment 564 161 43,386 967 
		
	
	(51) Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust.
	(52) Whipps Cross University Hospitals NHS Trust.
	(53) Finished consultant episodes (FCEs) as reported in 2003–04 reference cost collection.

Nurses/Doctors

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations she has received from (a) NHS bodies and (b) other interested parties regarding the system of making funding available for the provision of return to practice courses; which bodies and parties made such representations; and what the content was of those representations.

Liam Byrne: The Department has received a number of representations following the decision to devolve funding.
	From 1 April 2004, responsibility for funding the bursaries for nurses returning to work in the national health service was devolved to primary care trusts (PCTs). This gives PCTs the flexibility to determine the appropriate investment for return to practice, working in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders. This change coincides with our allocating historic levels of funding to PCTs to ensure the NHS secures the work force necessary to deliver improved services.
	For the three-year revenue allocations to cover 2003–04, 2004–05 and 2005–06, PCTs received an average cash increase of 9.22 per cent., 9.55 per cent. and 9.32 per cent. This is an average over the three years of 30.83 per cent. For the recent round of allocations to cover 2006–07 and 2007–08, PCTs received average cash increases of 9.2 per cent. and 9.4 per cent. This is an average over the two years of 19.5 per cent.

Nurses/Doctors

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nurses and (b) doctors from overseas are working in England following recruitment drives by the Government in their countries, broken down by country.

Liam Byrne: We have bilateral agreements or memoranda of understanding with India, Indonesia, Philippines and Spain. We have also recruited doctors from Austria, Germany and Italy.
	The number of doctors and nurses registering with the General Medical Council and the Nursing and Midwifery Council respectively since 2001 are shown in the tables.
	
		Number of doctors recruited—including specialist registrars, general practitioners and junior doctors
		
			  Year of registration 
			 Country 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Austria 44 77 60 83 
			 Germany 303 353 383 771 
			 India 1,326 1,892 2,985 3,643 
			 Italy 212 225 281 176 
			 Indonesia 1 0 0 1 
			 Spain 88 115 121 107 
		
	
	
		Number of nurses recruited
		
			  Year of registration 
			 Country 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 India 218 1,352 2,655 3,709 
			 Indonesia 0 0 5 1 
			 Philippines 1,692 4,361 4,747 2,898 
			 Spain 374 197 308 220 
		
	
	Note:
	These tables relate to registration and therefore do not identify where the individual was employed, in the national health service or independent sector, or even if the individual secured employment in the United Kingdom.

Nurses/Doctors

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors have been employed in (a) South Tyneside, (b) the North East and (c) England in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: The number of doctors employed in the national health service in England and the North East is shown in the table. Information is not available centrally for South Tyneside.
	
		Number
		
			  England North East 
		
		
			 1997 89,619 5,033 
			 1998 91,837 5,048 
			 1999 93,981 5,269 
			 2000 96,319 5,489 
			 2001 99,169 5,656 
			 2002 103,350 5,823 
			 2003 108,993 6,071 
			 2004 117,036 6,524

Patient Communication

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what (a) guidelines and (b) procedures her Department has in place to ensure patients who cannot communicate verbally are able to express themselves to staff.

Liam Byrne: The Department in partnership with the Disability Rights Commission published You Can Make A Difference", which is available on the Department's website last year at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/equalityandhumanrights.
	This leaflet aims to improve disabled people's experience of hospital services and gives practical suggestions of ways in which national health service staff can meet the needs of disabled service users, including those who cannot communicate verbally.
	It is for local authorities and health service providers to determine how best to develop procedures and provide services to meet the needs of individuals.

Patient-led NHS

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the document Commissioning a Patient-led NHS, what formal consultations are required to be undertaken by the Thames Valley strategic health authority prior to the reconfiguration of primary care trusts.

Liam Byrne: Proposals regarding the reconfiguration of primary care trusts were submitted to the Department last week by all 28 strategic health authorities (SHAs), and will shortly be considered by an external panel representing a wide range of stakeholder interests. If the proposals are found to meet the criteria originally specified in Commissioning a Patient-Led NHS", published in July, they will be subject to a full, statutory public consultation. This public consultation will last three months, and will begin in December 2005.
	In addition, all SHAs have consulted informally with a wide range of key stakeholder groups in drawing up their initial proposals.

Patients with Learning Difficulties

Richard Benyon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what training (a) medical and (b) non-medical staff receive to be able to serve those with learning difficulties who use the NHS; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what steps she has taken to ensure that all those with a learning disability have that disability recorded on all medical records and NHS documents.

Liam Byrne: The training of medical and non-medical staff in serving those with learning difficulties who use the national health service is a matter for the relevant professional bodies and the NHS. The Department is not responsible for setting curricula for health professional training, but we do share a commitment with statutory and professional bodies that all health professionals are trained, so that they have the skills and knowledge to deliver a high quality health service to all groups of the population with whom they deal.
	The Department does discuss the overall direction of training content and will be working closely with the disability rights commission and other key stakeholders to assist the development and implementation of the disability content of a comprehensive equality and human rights learning and development programme for all NHS staff.
	The Department has not made any specific steps to ensure that all those with a learning disability have that disability recorded on all medical records and NHS documents, However, we would expect this information to be put on records where it is a significant factor affecting their clinical care.

Physiotherapy

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage change she expects in the number of physiotherapy graduates in 2006 since (a) 2005, (b) 2004 and (c) 1997.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 25 October 2005
	Information is not collected on the number of graduates from physiotherapy courses.
	The number of students entering training to become a physiotherapist in 1996–97 was 1,093. This had risen to 2,343 in 2003–04 and 2,351 in 2004–05.

Psychotherapy

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the regulation of the profession of psychotherapy.

Jane Kennedy: The Government have been in discussion with the profession of psychotherapy for some time regarding the introduction of statutory regulation. Decisions about further progress will be taken once the review of non-medical regulation has reported to Ministers at the end of the year.

Rebranding

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on rebranding in her Department and related agencies since 2003–04.

Jane Kennedy: The Department has not changed its branding since 1999 therefore, no money has been spent on rebranding since 2003–04.
	The Department currently has three executive and related agencies: NHS purchasing and supply agency, NHS connecting for health and medicines and healthcare products regulatory agency. These three agencies spent a total of approximately £108,000 on rebranding since 2003–04.
	The Department's branding team developed a branding policy and guidelines for the Department's executive agencies and arms length bodies which were sent to the bodies following the publication of An Implementation Framework for Reconfiguring the DH Arm's Length Bodies" (30 November 2004).
	In 2003–04, the Department had three other executive and related agencies: NHS pensions agency, NHS estates, and NHS modernisation agency. All these agencies followed the standard national health service corporate identity and did not rebrand before they changed status or were dissolved.

Senior House Officers

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many stand-alone senior house officer posts there have been in the national health service in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: Information on stand-alone senior house officer posts in the national health service is not collected centrally.

Skin Whitening Creams

Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the (a) scope and (b) scale of illegal sales of potentially toxic prescription-only skin whitening creams.

Jane Kennedy: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is aware that products containing medicines designated as prescription-only are being sold for cosmetic skin lightening purposes. Reports of their illegal sale have come to our attention through trading standards departments at local authorities and consumers who have suffered adverse reactions.
	These products tend to be found on sale in markets and in small retail outlets in inner-city areas where there is a higher density of Afro Caribbean and Asian population.
	Prescription-only medicines are potent by nature, and for this reason, their supply is restricted to patients who have been issued with a prescription from a doctor or another appropriate practitioner. In this way, their condition may be monitored. Sale and supply of these medicines outwith specified conditions can be a criminal offence and the MHRA will investigate all potential breaches of medicines law.
	In April 2000, the Medicines Control Agency—this was prior to the merger with the Medical Devices Agency and emergence of the MHRA—conducted an initiative whereby a number of wholesalers/retailers of these products were identified and enforcement action was taken. In 95 per cent. of the visits, compliance was achieved and products withdrawn from the market.
	Intelligence suggested that, following MHRA action, large scale wholesale operations ceased but suitcase trade" persisted. This situation has been monitored in the intervening period and action has been taken in a number of instances, with reports from both trading standards and Her Majesty's Customs.

Sterile Services Units

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what standards she has set for the provision of services in sterile services units; and what steps she is taking to improve the delivery of sterile services within the NHS.

Jane Kennedy: The standards set for sterile services are contained in Core Standard C4 in Annex A—Standards for Better Health of National Standards, Local Action—Health and Social Care Standards and Planning Framework 2005/06 to 2007/08", a copy of which is available in the Library.
	Over £130 million has been spent on replacing equipment, improving working conditions in existing sterile services departments (SSDs) and buying new instruments to facilitate centralisation since April 2001. In order to sustain the improvement and enable the national health service to meet the existing standards on the reprocessing of instruments, many of the existing SSDs will be replaced completely.
	Many NHS trusts are choosing to redevelop their sterile services by forming joint ventures with private sector providers. 18 such projects are under way, involving some 80 NHS trusts and NHS foundation trusts.

Strategic Health Authorities (England)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the spending of each of the strategic health authorities in England has been in each of the last three years.

Liam Byrne: Expenditure by strategic health authorities (SHAs) in England for 2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 is shown in the table.
	
		£000
		
			 SHA 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire 154,772 124,233 144,297 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 97,706 40,541 41,068 
			 Birmingham and The Black Country 289,812 245,723 262,244 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside 208,150 158,778 182,356 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley 141,449 114,891 125,793 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire 436,695 424,989 65,022 
			 Dorset and Somerset 58,850 39,600 47,368 
			 Essex 144,693 41,713 45,670 
			 Greater Manchester 262,438 214,824 253,957 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 169,543 114,322 137,721 
			 Kent and Medway 59,890 10,575 132,565 
			 Leicestershire, Northants and Rutland 123,892 99,967 119,248 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire 237,026 184,331 209,383 
			 North and East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire 88,302 38,042 45,611 
			 North Central London 196,310 175,194 188,929 
			 North East London 224,019 213,821 236,880 
			 North West London 219,237 172,920 184,199 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear 103,762 84,153 91,082 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire 66,508 32,589 32,946 
			 South East London 188,553 187,252 192,706 
			 South West London 123,601 107,135 112,853 
			 South West Peninsula 126,281 81,021 112,180 
			 South Yorkshire 230,148 207,656 214,632 
			 Surrey and Sussex 244,288 169,414 76,194 
			 Thames Valley 167,899 116,581 131,107 
			 Trent 189,976 144,961 166,619 
			 West Midlands South 75,497 40,099 43,492 
			 West Yorkshire 183,688 192,804 202,882 
			 England Total 4,812,985 3,778,129 3,799,004 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Expenditure is taken from audited health authority summarisation forms, which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from cash allocations in the year. The figures have not been adjusted for inflation.
	2. Figures have been adjusted to eliminate expenditure which would be double counted where an authority acts as a lead in commissioning health care or other services.
	3. The majority of expenditure of the SHAs is for education, training and research.
	4. Reductions in expenditure between 2002–03 and 2003–04 are caused by the further transfer of commissioning from SHAs to primary care trusts.
	Source:
	Audited summarisation forms of SHAs.

Volunteering

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many volunteering positions her Department has offered in each of the last five years.

Jane Kennedy: The Department actively encourages volunteering, but information on the number of staff who have undertaken voluntary positions is not held centrally by the Department. Obtaining the data would incur disproportionate costs to the Department; it is therefore not possible to provide this information.

Waiting Lists/Times

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to ensure as many out-patient and in-patient appointments as possible are booked through choose and book by the end of 2005; and what assessment she has made of the likelihood of this target being achieved.

Liam Byrne: There is no target for choose and book. The Government's targets are for all patients to be offered the choice of at least four providers at the point of general practitioner referral and for patients to be able to book the date and time of their hospital appointment by the end of 2005. The choose and book service will greatly assist local health communities in achieving these targets. Where the choose and book service is not yet being used by this date, there will be other systems in place to ensure that patients receive a choice of at least four providers and can book the date and time of their appointment.

Working Time Directive

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures her Department is taking to enable the national health service to meet the targets set by the EU Working Time Directive.

Liam Byrne: The working time directive (WTD) was implemented for the vast majority of national health service staff groups in 1998 in accordance with regulations.
	The Government negotiated an extension to the WTD for doctors in training to enable phased implementation from August 2004. We worked with the health professions and NHS employers to provide joint guidance and invested an extra £46 million to support WTD implementation, including 20 national pilots and the hospital at night project.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

All-postal Voting

Adam Holloway: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the Electoral Commission's opinion that all-postal voting should not be pursued for use in future statutory elections or referendums in the UK.

Harriet Harman: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 7 June 2005, Official Report, column 535W.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many offenders in breach of their antisocial behaviour orders (a) have been returned to court and (b) received sentences in the last 12 months.

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
	The Court Proceedings Database held by the Home Office holds breach proceedings only where there has been a conviction.
	Data on convictions for breach of an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) are currently available from 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2003. During this period my Department received notification of 1,892 persons receiving ASBOs in England and Wales. Of these, 793 were convicted of breaching their ASBO on one or more occasions. 437 received a custodial sentence for at least one of the breaches. The proportion of persons (356) who did not receive a custodial sentence is 45 per cent.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what proportion of offenders in breach of anti-social behaviour orders have not been committed to custody.

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
	The Court Proceedings Database held by my Department holds breach proceedings only where there has been a conviction.
	Data on convictions for breach of an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) are currently available from 1 June 2000 to 31 December 2003. During this period the Home Office received notification of 1,892 persons receiving ASBOs in England and Wales. Of these, 793 were convicted of breaching their ASBO on one or more occasions. 437 received a custodial sentence for at least one of the breaches. The proportion of persons (356) who did not receive a custodial sentence is 45 per cent.

Asylum and Immigration Appeals

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average length of time was to process and determine immigration appeals from the date of being lodged to the date of hearing (a) before and (b) since 4 April 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The latest provisional information available from the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) indicates that immigration appeals, comprising both in-country and entry clearance cases, lodged (a) before the 4 April 2005, took on average 54 weeks from first being lodged to a decision being promulgated by an Immigration Adjudicator of the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA).
	Immigration appeals arising from a claim refused by the Respondent prior to the 4 April 2005 were lodged first, in accordance with the Tribunal's procedure rules, with the decision maker (dependent on whether in-country or entry clearance) before being transferred to the IAA to be determined by an Immigration Adjudicator.
	The latest provisional information available from the AIT indicates that an in-country immigration appeal, lodged (b) after the 4 April 2005, took on average seven weeks from being lodged to a decision being promulgated by an Immigration Judge of the AIT. Entry clearance appeals are not included within this information due to the current absence of a statistically significant sample of cases having been promulgated by the AIT in the period from 4 April to the end of June 2005.
	Immigration appeals arising from a claim refused by the Respondent on or after the 4 April 2005 are lodged directly to the AIT in accordance with Rule 6 of The Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (Procedure) Rules 2005". Appellants bringing an appeal from outside the United Kingdom, following a refusal of entry clearance, can lodge their appeal to the entry clearance officer, who must forward the appeal to the AIT within 10 days of taking receipt.

Asylum and Immigration Appeals

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many immigration appeals (a) lodged before and (b) lodged since 4 April 2005 were processed and determined by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in (i) April, (ii) May, (iii) June, (iv) July, (v) August, (vi) September and (vii) to date in October; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: The latest provisional figures available from the electronic database of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT) indicate that the number of immigration appeal decisions, comprising both in-country and entry clearance cases, determined by the AIT in each month from April to the end of June 2005 is as follows:
	
		Immigration appeals determined which were lodged prior to 4 April 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 April 2005 2,875 
			 May 2005 2,514 
			 June 2005 2,488 
		
	
	
		Immigration appeals determined which were lodged after 4 April 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 April 2005 0 
			 May 2005 48 
			 June 218 
		
	
	Statistical data confirming the numbers of immigration appeals determined in the period beyond June 2005 are not yet available.

Asylum and Immigration Appeals

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what is the expected (a) date for completing and (b) average length of time for processing and determining for (i) asylum appeals, (ii) immigration appeals and (iii) visitor visa appeals lodged with the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal outstanding on 4 April 2005; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: At present it is not possible to specify the average length of time taken to process and determine outstanding appeals received by the Immigration Appellate Authority prior to the 4 April 2005 and the commencement of the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal (AIT), nor the estimated time for those cases to pass fully through the system, without incurring disproportionate costs.

Barristers

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many trials were (a) cancelled and (b) postponed as a result of industrial action by barristers; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: No trial was abandoned as a result of the action. From 3 October to 28 October there were 61 instances where a trial was affected by Bar action. Contingency plans were implemented and cases were adjourned and rescheduled for another day. Over a four week period anywhere between 2,000–3,000 trials are listed in the Crown court.

Coroners

Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will review the operation of the coroners' system, with particular reference to a possible requirement on coroners to re-open cases following a court direction to do so.

Harriet Harman: I am currently concluding a review of the operation of the coroners' system, which includes consideration of the powers of coroners and inquest procedures. I will make a statement in due course about the reforms the Government plans to bring forward.

Departmental Consultation

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will list formal consultations being sponsored by her Department and its agencies; and what the (a) commencement date and (b) deadline for responses is in each case.

Bridget Prentice: Currently my Department and her agencies are running a total of seven formal consultations. They are listed in the following table.
	
		
			 Title of consultation Commencement date Deadline for responses 
		
		
			 Focusing Judicial Resources Appropriately (DCA) 19 October 2005 20 January 2006 
			 Civil and family court fee increases (Her Majesty's Courts Service; HMCS) 23 September 2005 18 November 2005 
			 Proposed changes to civil appeal rules (DCA) 9 September 2005 2 December 2005 
			 The Delegation of Powers by Justices' Clerks to Non Legally Qualified Staff in Magistrates' Courts in England and Wales (HMCS) 8 September 2005 1 December 2005 
			 Gravesend County Court (HMCS) 1 September 2005 30 November 2005 
			 Proposed merger of Shropshire local justice areas (HMCS) 19 August 2005 25 November 2005 
			 The proposed closure of Wetherby Courthouse (HMCS) 16 August 2005 15 November 2005

Departmental Staff

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the rates of employee absence in her Department have been in each year since 1997.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to the figures contained on the annual report Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service" published by the Cabinet Office. Table A of the report gives details of both the average working days absence per year and the number of staff years on which that calculation is based. The most recent report for the calendar year 2003 was published on 1 November 2004, copies of which are available in the Library. This report and those for 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 are available on the Cabinet Office website at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management_of_the_civil_service/conditions_of_service/occupational_health/publications/index.asp
	In respect of the Department for Constitutional Affairs, the published figures include the Department itself and its Associated Offices, the Court Service and the Public Guardianship Office. They do not include sickness absence data in respect of the former Magistrates Courts Services, which were merged with the Court Service in April 2005 to form Her Majesty's Court Service.
	The Department remains committed to managing sickness absence effectively and has actively adopted the recommendations of the recently published Managing Sickness Absence in the Public Sector".

DNA Bioscience

David Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  if she will take steps to ascertain the nature and level of the ISO certification of (a) DNA Diagnostic and (b) DNA Bioscience as providers of services to her Department;
	(2)  what representations have been received by the Department on the performance of DNA Bioscience; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what investigations have been initiated by the Department into DNA Bioscience.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member for Monmouth to my reply on 24 October 2005, Official Report, column 8W. I am still investigating the matters raised in the hon. Member's questions, and I will write when I am in a position to do so.

Electoral Administration

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of Clause 23 of the Electoral Administration Bill on the ability of independent candidates to run with the ballot paper description of independent combined with the name of a registered political party.

Harriet Harman: Clause 22 allows independent candidates to use the word 'Independent' or a description. Clause 23 specifies the type of description that can be used. The description must not be the same as the name or description of a registered political party, nor be so similar as to confuse with or lead an elector to associate the candidate with a registered political party.

Electoral Administration

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of Clause 47 of the Electoral Administration Bill on the ability of registered political parties to run a candidate with a ballot paper description of a locality and party name combined.

Harriet Harman: Under Clause 47 registered political parties are allowed to register up to five descriptions with the Electoral Commission. It would be up to the party to decide whether they wished to register a description of a locality and party name combined, and whether they wished to use this description on a ballot paper.

Expert Witnesses

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what prerequisites are set for a person who gives evidence as an expert.

Fiona Mactaggart: I have been asked to reply.
	In criminal law, where matters fall outside the ordinary knowledge of the court, the court may allow the opinions of an expert witness to be admitted as evidence. The decision whether or not to allow the evidence of an expert witness to be admitted rests with the court, which must be satisfied that the material comes within a recognised field of expertise and that the witness is properly qualified in the subject calling for expertise. The appropriate competence may be the result of formal study or training, experience, or both. It is for the jury to decide what weight ought to be placed on any expert evidence that has been admitted.
	One exception to these general rules is that, under the Criminal Procedure (Insanity and Unfitness to Plead) Act 1991, a defendant shall not be acquitted on the grounds of insanity, or found unfit to plead, except on the evidence of two or more registered medical practitioners, at least one of whom is approved by the Secretary of State as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorder.

Hereditary Peers

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the minimum age is for an hereditary peer to take up a seat in the House of Lords following a peers' by-election.

Harriet Harman: The Standing Orders of the House of Lords (Standing Order No. 2) sets out clearly that no Lord under the age of 21 years shall sit in the House.

Judicial Appointments

Keith Vaz: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many complaints have been made by unsuccessful applicants for judicial appointments on the grounds of race discrimination since 1 July 2003.

Harriet Harman: Out of 35 complaints made during this period to the Commission for Judicial Appointments by unsuccessful applicants, five were on the grounds of race discrimination. Investigation of these complaints has yet to be completed

Jury Service

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many people have been called to jury service in England in each year since 2001.

Harriet Harman: Between 2 April 2001 and 29 March 2002, 600,390 people were summoned for jury service of which 195,625 people actually attended court.
	Between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2003, 540,243 people were summoned for jury service of which 197,337 people attended court.
	Between 1 April 2003 and 31 March 2004, 501,198 people were summoned for jury service of which 182,052 people attended court.
	Between 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005, 477,122 people were summoned for jury service of which 186,015 attended court and between 1 April 2005 to 21 Oct 2005, 258,690 people have been summoned for jury service of which 104,774 have attended court to date.

Legal Aid Funding

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the cost of legal aid in Northern Ireland has been in each year since 2002–03.

Bridget Prentice: The cost of legal aid in Northern Ireland each year since 2002–03 is set out as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2002–03 45.0 
			 2003–04 49.8 
			 2004–05 58.6

Limitation Act 1980

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will review the Limitation Act 1980 in respect of victims of child abuse suing for compensation.

Bridget Prentice: The Government announced its acceptance in principle of the recommendations made by the Law Commission in its 2001 report Limitation of Actions" (Law Com 270), subject to further consideration of certain aspects, in July 2002.
	The Law Commission recommended that a child abuse claim should be brought within three years of the date on which the claimant knew (or ought reasonably to have known) the facts giving rise to the cause of action; the identity of the defendant; and, that any injury, loss or damage was significant. As now, time would not run while the claimant was a minor. In addition, the court would have discretion to disapply the limitation period if it would be unjust not to allow the claim to proceed.
	It is hoped that the remaining work on the recommendations will be concluded this autumn. We will then seek a legislative opportunity to introduce a Bill to reform the law.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many employees in her Department requested training to improve their (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills in each year since 2002.

Bridget Prentice: No employees have requested training in these areas. Due to the sensitive issues involved in admitting training needs in these areas we have provided an anonymous process for staff to check their level of literacy and numeracy, which then points them towards local, free-of-charge providers of training to meet their needs.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps she is taking to promote uptake of the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy among employees of her Department.

Bridget Prentice: My Department has promoted the national tests in adult literacy and numeracy via presentations at our regional and area boards; at annual Learning At Work Week events; in the workplace via our local training co-ordinators; in our regional training centres; and on the departmental intranet. We will be re-launching these tests to the newly-created Her Majesty's Court Service and the rest of the Department shortly.

Literacy and Numeracy

Nick Gibb: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much her Department spent on in-house training on (a) literacy and (b) numeracy (i) in total and (ii) per head in each year since 2002.

Bridget Prentice: The Department did not spend any money specifically on in-house literacy and numeracy training in the years 2002–05. However, some literacy issues are covered in our Effective Writing", Letter Writing" and Minute Writing" in-house courses.

Policy Development Grants

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what reasons underlay the Government's proposals to bring forward legislation enabling a policy development grant to be treated as a donation.

Harriet Harman: The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 specifically provides that any payment out of public funds received by a registered party shall be regarded as a donation received by the party from a permissible donor. However, Policy Development Grants are currently exempt from this provision. This measure will therefore achieve consistency in the reporting of public funds received by political parties, ensuring that Policy Development Grants, like the money received by opposition parties in Parliament and the devolved legislatures to assist them in carrying out their duties as opposition parties, are reported to the Electoral Commission and recorded on the register of donations.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Academic Qualifications

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils have left school at age 16 years with less than five A*-C GCSE grades in (a) the constituency of Wimbledon, (b) Greater London and (c) England in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The percentage of 15-year-old pupils 1 achieving less than five A*-C GCSE and equivalent 2 grades has been provided below for all years from 1997 to 2004.
	
		Proportion of 15-year-olds with less than five A*-C GCSE grades
		
			  Wimbledon parliamentary constituency Greater London England 
		
		
			 1997 52.8 58.9 54.9 
			 1998 51.8 57.1 53.7 
			 1999 51.5 55.5 52.1 
			 2000 49.6 54.5 50.8 
			 2001 49.1 53.9 50.0 
			 2002 49.1 51.5 48.4 
			 2003 40.8 49.3 47.1 
			 2004 41.1 47.0 46.3 
		
	
	(54) 15-year-old pupils at the beginning of the academic year (ie 31 August) who are age 16 when leaving compulsory education.
	(55) Figures are for GCSE and equivalent qualifications for 2004. All previous years are for GCSE/GNVQ only.

Attainment Standards

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on progress towards raising standards of attainment in primary schools.

Jacqui Smith: Primary school standards are at their highest levels ever. The provisional results published in August show that 79 per cent. of 11-year-olds achieved the target level 4 of the National Curriculum in the 2005 Key Stage 2 English tests and 75 per cent. did so in mathematics. At Key Stage 1, 85 per cent. of 7-year-olds were assessed to have reached the target level 2 of the National Curriculum in reading, 82 per cent. reached level 2 in writing and 91 per cent. reached level 2 in mathematics.
	Since 1997, the proportion of 11-year-olds achieving level 4+ has risen by 16 percentage points in English and 13 percentage points in mathematics. This dramatic improvement follows a period when primary school standards had not improved for 50 years.

Attainment Standards

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the June 2005 GCE AS/A-level examinations, with particular reference to the percentage required to secure a grade A.

Jacqui Smith: I congratulate pupils, teachers and their schools on their tremendous achievements in this summer's AS and A level examinations.
	A level grades are awarded on the basis of a uniform mark scale (UMS). The grade A boundary is always set at 480 UMS marks out of a maximum total of 600.

Authorised Absence

David Crausby: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has given to head teachers regarding authorised absence during term time.

Jacqui Smith: The Education (Pupil Registration) Regulations 1995 set out when a pupil's absence from school shall be treated as authorised or unauthorised. Authorised absence includes those occasions where the pupil has been granted leave of absence by the school. Schools have discretion as to whether or not to grant leave of absence to allow pupils to go away on holiday.
	The Government's view is that holidays in term time should be discouraged. There is evidence which indicates that absence from school can have a detrimental effect on a child's education and their attainment. The Government's view, therefore, is that all unnecessary absences from school, for reasons such as family holidays, should be avoided wherever possible.
	Head teachers have access to the information and advice that my Department has issued on managing pupil attendance through our Behaviour and Attendance website (www.dfes.gov.uk/behaviourandattendance). This includes material on handling requests for family holidays during term time and for extended holidays abroad.

Best Practice

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether there is a structure in place for successful schools to share best practice with failing schools.

Jacqui Smith: The Department supports several programmes which enable successful schools to collaborate and share good practice with other schools including those which are underperforming and failing. These include the Leading Edge Partnership Programme; Primary Learning Networks; Excellence in Cities; the Leadership Incentive Grant; and the Specialist Schools Raising Attainment in Teaching and Learning Programme which funds specialist schools to work in partnership with others to raise standards.
	In addition, the Department supports a number of tailored projects, for example through School Improvement Partnership Boards, to enable leading schools directly to support the recovery of a failing school. We are also encouraging more general collaboration to raise standards in schools through the development of Education Improvement Partnerships.

Bullying

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils left school because they were victims of bullying in (a) the Tees Valley and (b) the Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Data on bullying among children and young people, including data on pupils who have left school because of bullying, are not collected centrally. Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than before but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or that it is affecting more children.
	However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our guidance Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", the anti-bullying Charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying.

Bullying

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidelines she has issued to teachers on how to (a) prevent and (b) report bullying; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: We attach a high priority to helping teachers and school staff to reduce and respond to bullying, to encouraging pupils to report bullying and to helping staff respond when bullying has been reported: bullying is a serious problem which puts the emotional well-being and educational achievement of pupils at risk. Our guidance pack Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", the anti-bullying Charter for Action and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying all offer advice to teachers on preventing and reporting bullying.
	The Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence" pack was updated in September 2002. Its key message is for children to report bullying to someone they trust and not to suffer in silence. It offers valuable guidance to teachers on preventing and tackling bullying, the effects of bullying, how to respond to parents, and how to monitor bullying incidents. The Department is currently reviewing the material to provide teachers with the most up-to-date information.
	In addition to the written resources we provide we have also held a number of workshops and conferences at which best practice in reducing and responding to bullying has been discussed and shared. In particular our Make the Difference" conferences, held between November 2003 to June 2004, attracted over 5,000 heads and education staff.
	The Department has also recently launched the Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning (SEAL) curriculum resource—an intervention to develop children's social, emotional and behavioural skills from foundation stage to year 6. It is available to all primary schools and the evidence from the pilot suggests that it helps reduce bullying and promotes positive behaviour generally.

Bullying

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of cases of bullying in secondary schools in Leeds North West in each year since 2001.

Jacqui Smith: As data on bullying are not collected centrally we do not have statistics relating to incidents of bullying at secondary level in the Leeds North West area. Bullying cases appear to be reported more often now than before but we have no hard evidence that bullying is increasing or that it is affecting more children.
	However, any level of bullying is too high and we are determined to help schools tackle the problem. Our guidance Bullying: Don't Suffer in Silence", the anti-bullying charter and the anti-bullying website www.dfes.gov.uk/bullying offer detailed advice on preventing and addressing bullying.

City Academies

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of (a) whether city academies will need to make a profit from community usage of their facilities in order to fund their VAT bills and (b) the effect charging fees for community use of city academies will have on community involvement; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The use of their facilities and any charges made are a matter for individual academies. VAT is not chargeable on the construction of academy buildings, or parts of these buildings, that are used exclusively for core education activities and/or for community use where no charge is made. VAT relief also applies to those parts of the building used for community activities where any charge is made, provided this does not exceed 10 per cent. of the total use.

Counselling

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of school children have access to a free counselling service by fully qualified counsellors on their school premises.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Departmental Initiatives

Brooks Newmark: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the individual initiatives aimed at improving (a) participation, (b) attendance and (c) equality of opportunity introduced by her Department since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Education (Bedfordshire)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many appeals have been made against the allocation of school places in Bedfordshire local education authority in each year since 1997; and how many were upheld in each year.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	At the time of the admission appeals survey which collected figures for the year 2003/04 Bedfordshire local authority was contacted for an explanation of the large increase in primary school appeals between 2002/03 and 2003/04. The reason given was that it was due to the revised Admissions Code of Practice and changes in procedures within the authority due to infant class size limits.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools: appeals by parents against non-admission of their children. Each academic year: 1996/97 to 2003/04
		
			  Bedfordshire local authority 
			   Appeals heard Appeals decided in parents favour 
			  Number of appeals lodged Number Percentage(56) Number Percentage(57) 
		
		
			 Maintained primary  
			 1996/97 37 31 83.8 20 64.5 
			 1997/98 43 30 69.8 15 50.0 
			 1998/99 44 34 77.3 8 23.5 
			 1999/2000 38 22 57.9 8 36.4 
			 2000/01 50 28 56.0 6 21.4 
			 2001/02 62 31 50.0 10 32.3 
			 2002/03 53 26 49.1 3 11.5 
			 2003/04(58) 163 95 58.3 37 38.9 
			   
			 Maintained secondary  
			 1996/97 175 150 85.7 80 53.3 
			 1997/98 284 219 77.1 104 47.5 
			 1998/99 353 312 88.4 79 25.3 
			 1999/2000 299 225 75.3 89 39.6 
			 2000/01 476 382 80.3 121 31.7 
			 2001/02 391 283 72.4 91 32.2 
			 2002/03 419 335 80.0 129 38.5 
			 2003/04(58) 411 332 80.8 147 44.3 
		
	
	
		
			 England 
			   Appeals heard Appeals decided in parents favour 
			  Number of appeals lodged Number Percentage(56) Number Percentage(57) 
		
		
			 Maintained primary  
			 1996/97 27,106 21,817 67 10,580 48 
			 1997/98 30,868 20,178 65 9,564 47 
			 1998/99 32,194 21,219 66 9,341 44 
			 1999/2000 28,728 18,712 65 7,290 39 
			 2000/01 27,106 17,505 65 6,208 35 
			 2001/02 25,680 16,164 63 5,510 34 
			 2002/03 22,410 13,760 61 4,540 33 
			 2003/04(58) 20,810 13,180 65 4,340 33 
			   
			 Maintained secondary  
			 1996/97 40,021 29,472 74 9,234 31 
			 1997/98 46,103 33,192 72 10,752 32 
			 1998/99 53,739 38,961 73 12,642 32 
			 1999/2000 60,454 43,943 73 14,182 32 
			 2000/01 63,611 46,366 73 14,993 32 
			 2001/02 69,210 49,981 72 16,218 32 
			 2002/03 69,020 50,200 73 16,820 34 
			 2003/04(58) 65,180 46,480 71 16,290 35 
		
	
	(56) Number of appeals heard by a committee expressed as a percentage of the number of appeals lodged by parents.
	(57) Number of appeals decided in parents' favour expressed as a percentage of the number of appeals heard by a committee.
	(58) A revised Code of Practice was issued in January 2003 within Bedfordshire local authority.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census and Admission Appeals Survey

Education Funding (Hartlepool)

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding the Hartlepool constituency has received from the (a) Excellence in Cities, (b) Education Action Zone and (c) Leadership Incentive Grant Scheme in each year since the scheme began.

Jacqui Smith: Hartlepool has been involved in the Excellence in Cities (EiC) programme since September 2000 as part of Phase Two. Hartlepool are also included in the Leadership Incentive Grant, following receipt of funding in April 2003. Although they did not participate in the Education Action Zones programme, they have an EiC Action Zone as part of the EIC programme.
	The funding allocations to Hartlepool as part of the Excellence in Cities programme and the Leadership Incentive Grant, are shown in the following tables:
	
		Excellence in Cities: Hartlepool funding allocations
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2000–01 495,532 
			 2001–02 811,000 
			 2002–03 859,094 
			 2003–04 1,427,062 
			 2004–05 1,617,968 
			 2005–06 1,930,047 
		
	
	
		Leadership Incentive Grant: Hartlepool funding allocations
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2003–04 750,000 
			 2004–05 780,000 
			 2005–06 810,000 
		
	
	This investment is reflected in Hartlepool's EiC lifetime rate of improvement, in terms of five or more GCSEs A* to C. It is one of the highest of those involved in the programme, having gone from 35.7 per cent. in 2000, to 48.6 per cent. in 2004. Provisional results for 2005 show that attainment in Hartlepool has risen again, to 50.9 per cent.

Ethnic Minority Achievement

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what the ethnic minority achievement element of the Standards Fund granted to (a) the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and (b) Wokingham district council was in each of the last three years; and what it is expected to be in each of the next two financial years;
	(2)  what the criteria for the allocation of the ethnic minority achievement element of the Standards Fund have been in each of the last three years;
	(3)  if she will list the local authorities whose funding for the ethnic minority achievement element of the Standards Fund will have been reduced by more than (a) 30 per cent. and (b) 40 per cent. between 2004 and 2007.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 31 October 2005
	Changes to the distribution of the Ethnic Minority Achievement (EMAG) element of the Standards Fund were from introduced from 2004–05 to bring a better targeted, fairer and more sensible distribution to this grant. These changes were endorsed by the DfES Aiming High: Raising the Achievement of Minority Ethnic Pupils" consultation of 2003. Between 2005–06 and 2007–08, EMAG total funding will have increased by almost £10 million. In spite of these increases the reforms to the distribution of EMAG were not possible without losses to some authorities. No authority has been worse off as a result of these changes than 0.05 per cent. of their overall Education Formula Spending Share.
	The allocations laid out here indicate the DfES contribution to EMAG for Windsor and Maidenhead and Wokingham. Allocations beyond 2007–08 have not been made.
	
		
			 Programme year £ 
		
		
			 2003–04  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 153,898 
			 Wokingham 36,474 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 153,898 
			 Wokingham 36,474 
			   
			 2005–06  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 121,142 
			 Wokingham 42,953 
			   
			 2006–071  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 88,387 
			 Wokingham 49,467 
			   
			 2007–081  
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 86,380 
			 Wokingham 55,132 
		
	
	(59) Provisional DfES contribution.
	In 2003–04 to 2005–06 the DfES contribution was matched funded by local authorities at 50 per cent. grant rate.
	The criteria for the distribution of EMAG are laid out in the Standards Fund Circular each year. For:
	2003–04 Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG)
	The criteria for allocations for each authority remained the same as for 2002–03. The 2002–03 grant reflected historic allocations to authorities dating from the evolvement in 1999–2000 of EMAG from the Home Office Section 11. (Section 11 had been based on a bidding process and did not necessarily reflect pupil numbers).
	2004–05 Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG)
	For 2004–05, the national total for EMAG was increased by 4 per cent. For 2004–05 the DfES introduced a phased move towards a new, needs based formula for allocating EMAG. This formula is based on the numbers of pupils from nationally underachieving ethnic groups and the numbers of pupils with a first language other than English, with a weighting for free school meals. Pupils are only counted once in the formula.
	For some authorities the formula warranted a reduction in grant. Instead of increasing every authority's allocation by 4 per cent., the DfES froze the allocation at the 2003–04 level for those authorities who would otherwise have lost under the new formula. This was for one year only. Other authorities who were to gain began a move towards their new formula amount. All authorities, except the Isles of Scilly, received a total allocation of at least £35,000, including the local authority contribution. EMAG remained a ring-fenced grant to be spent only on raising the attainment of pupils from minority ethnic groups.
	2005–06 Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant (EMAG
	For 2005–06, the national total for EMAG was increased by 4 per cent. The DfES continued to move towards the new, needs based, formula for allocating EMAG. This was again based on the numbers of pupils from nationally underachieving ethnic groups and the numbers of pupils with a first language other than English with a weighting for free school meals. Once again pupils are only counted once in the formula.
	For some authorities this resulted in a reduction in grant. The DfES ensured that the allocation for those LEAs who would otherwise lose under the new formula was not reduced by more than 0.05 per cent. of their overall School Formula Funding Share. Other authorities continued to move towards their new formula amount. EMAG remained ring-fenced to be spent only on raising the attainment of pupils from minority ethnic groups.
	The list of those authorities that have had reduction of over 30 per cent. and 40 per cent. is as follows. Those that have had a reduction of over 40 per cent. also appear in the over 30 per cent. list.
	(a) Comparing the DfES contribution of the Ethnic Minority Achievement element (EMAG) of the Standards Fund of 2003–04 with the provisional DfES allocation of 2007–08, the following local authorities 1 have had their DfES contribution to EMAG cut by more than 30 per cent.:
	Bedfordshire
	Buckinghamshire
	Bury
	Cambridgeshire
	Darlington
	Hertfordshire
	Kent
	Lancashire
	Leicestershire
	Medway
	North Lincolnshire
	North Tyneside
	Rotherham
	South Tyneside
	Wakefield
	Warrington
	Warwickshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead
	Worcestershire.
	1 Excluding the Isles of Scilly.
	(b) Comparing the DfES contribution of the Ethnic Minority Achievement element (EMAG) of the Standards Fund of 2003–04 with the provisional DfES allocation of 2007–08, the following local authorities 1 have had their DfES contribution to EMAG cut by more than 40 per cent.:
	Bedfordshire
	Buckinghamshire
	Darlington
	Hertfordshire
	Kent
	Lancashire
	North Lincolnshire
	North Tyneside
	Rotherham
	South Tyneside
	Wakefield
	Warwickshire
	Windsor and Maidenhead.
	1 Excluding the Isles of Scilly.

Examinations

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions she has had with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on reform of the examination system; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Ministers in the Department have regular discussions with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) on a range of issues, including reform of the examinations system. We have provided funding for the QCA to work with others to ensure we have an examination system fit for the 21st century.

Foundation Schools

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All, whether the additional flexibilities for trust schools would be available to foundation schools applying for additional freedoms under the Education Act 2002.

Jacqui Smith: All schools, as now, would be eligible to apply for additional freedoms under the Education Act 2002. Subject to legislation, we propose that trusts would be able to apply for such freedoms on behalf of all their schools.

GCSEs

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of, and how many, 15-year-olds were entered for both the English and mathematics GCSE in each year since 1995.

Jacqui Smith: The number and percentage of 15-year-old pupils 1 in England entered for both English and mathematics GCSE from 1995 to 2005 has been provided as follows.
	
		Number and Percentage of 15-year-olds(60) entered for both English and mathematics GCSE
		
			  Number of 15-year-olds (thousand) Percentage of 15-year-olds 
		
		
			 1995 514.5 86 
			 1996 529.3 86 
			 1997 525.2 86 
			 1998 513.4 86 
			 1999 524.6 87 
			 2000 528.2 87 
			 2001 550.3 91 
			 2002 555.7 92 
			 2003 572.5 92 
			 2004 592.9 92 
			 2005(61) 587.4 92 
		
	
	(60) Age at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).
	(61) Figures for 2005 are provisional. All other figures are final.

Geography Teaching

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her assessment is of the (a) availability and (b) standards of the teaching of geography at (i) secondary and (ii) primary schools.

Jacqui Smith: As part of the national curriculum, geography teaching is a statutory subject for all pupils between the ages of five and 14. Geography can also be taken as an option at key stage 4.
	The latest Ofsted report published on 19 October reveals an improvement in the quality of teaching of geography since 1998/99. The number of schools where teaching of geography is rated good or excellent has risen by 12 per cent. in primary schools and by 7 per cent. in secondary schools over this period. Geography also remains a popular choice at GCSE.

Gifted/Talented Young People

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate her Department has made of the number of gifted and talented young people in England.

Jacqui Smith: The national gifted and talented education programme is targeted broadly at the top 10 per cent. by ability aged 5 to 19 in every maintained school and college in England. Taking an average figure of 650,000 per year group nationally, we estimate that 65,000 in every year group fall potentially within the scope of the programme: perhaps 700,000 to 800,000 in total.

Gifted/Talented Young People

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many secondary schools nominated at least one pupil to join the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth in 2004–05.

Jacqui Smith: In the academic year 2004/05, 1,784 maintained secondary schools and 306 non-maintained secondary schools in England successfully nominated at least one pupil to the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth.
	This compares with 795 maintained and 79 non-maintained schools in 2003/04.

Good Practice

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to her answer on 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 213W, what assessment she has made of (a) whether the good practice published on www.teachernet.gov.uk/faithschools has been adopted and (b) the subsequent outcomes in terms of educational achievement against the Government's definition of educational achievement.

Jacqui Smith: We intend to update the Faith Schools website once a year with more examples of good practice that have been adopted in practice. We have recently asked the faith groups that provide maintained schools to provide the information which we will add to the current articles.
	The examples on the website are intended to encourage faith schools to be inclusive and contribute to community cohesion. We do not gather information from individual schools on whether they have adopted the good practice or the impact on outcomes in terms of educational achievement. Evaluation of educational achievement is Ofsted's role.

Havering Borough

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure equal access to subject choice for (a) GCSE and (b) A-level students of differing abilities in the London borough of Havering; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The national curriculum is designed to be suitable and accessible for all young people. The changes the Government made in 2004 to key stage 4 of the national curriculum were introduced so that all young people would have access to a broad and balanced curriculum as well as greater flexibility and choice, including the option to pursue more vocational courses. Similarly, reforms at advanced level provided for broader post-16 study including vocational options. Our 14–19 Education and Skills and the recently published Schools White Paper explain how we will further extend parental and pupil choice. In addition, London Challenge, with the London Learning and Skills Councils and Government Office for London, has consulted on a London 14–19 learner offer, which will be published this autumn. This creates a common framework across London to ensure that all learners have access to a core offer, building on the proposals in the 14–19 Education and Skills White Paper.
	The above proposals should benefit all young people including those in the London borough of Havering.

Head Teachers

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to redefine the role of head teachers.

Jacqui Smith: Our recent White Paper clearly reflects our recognition of the increasing freedoms and challenging environment in which we want schools to operate. I have asked the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) for its views on the extent to which the professional duties of teachers and the leadership group should be revised to reflect the focus on teaching and learning and the new professionalism agenda; the development of extended schools, including increased flexibilities in schools over opening times and out-of-hours activities; and the wider workforce. The STRB are intending to publish its advice in November. We will be considering the role of head teachers in the light of this advice.

Home Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has issued to local education authorities on the (a) frequency of and (b) level of detail required when monitoring cases of home education.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 31 October 2005
	My officials are drafting new guidelines for local authorities on home education, based on current local authority best practice. These will be issued in the spring. We anticipate that the guidelines will recommend that local authorities should normally make contact with home educators annually, although they may decide that individual children require more frequent monitoring. Each local authority makes its own decision about the information it requires from parents, but it should be sufficient to demonstrate that home educated children are making progress in line with their age, aptitude, ability, and any special needs they may have.

Home Education

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received on the monitoring of children educated at home; and what requirements there are on a parent or carer to notify their relevant local authority on a decision to home educate.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 31 October 2005
	We are not aware of any recent representations on the tracking of children educated at home. My officials met with Education Otherwise Association Ltd. on 18 August 2004 to discuss the information sharing index, as provided for in the Children Act 2004, and any implications it may have for children educated at home.
	There is currently no legal requirement for parents or carers to notify their local authority of their decision to home educate. However, where parents or carers are withdrawing a child from school in order to educate at home, they have a duty to inform the school in writing. The school, in turn, is legally required to inform the local authority within 10 school days.

Homework

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to revise Ofsted inspection criteria to include monitoring of the amount of homework set in schools to enable assessment of compliance with recommendations in her Department's publication Homework: Guidelines for Primary and Secondary Schools.

Jacqui Smith: The new school inspection framework requires inspectors to evaluate the school's provision in terms of its impact on achievement rather than compliance with non-statutory guidelines (in this case on the amount of homework provided). If the school's self-evaluation form, or other evidence, suggests that the school's policy on homework is contributing to unsatisfactory progress being made by pupils, inspectors may specifically examine this as part of the inspection. There are currently no plans to revise the inspection criteria in this regard.

Independent State Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role local authorities will take in relation to the introduction of independent state schools.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 1 November 2005
	Local authorities will have a new role as commissioners of education, rather than the direct providers of school places. In future all new or replacement schools will be self-governing (foundation), trust, voluntary aided or—where appropriate—academies. Where there is a need for a new or replacement school in an area the local authority will draw up a specification for the school and invite promoters to submit proposals. The local authority (or, in some cases, the schools adjudicator) will decide which proposals to approve, taking account of the views of parents and other stakeholders.
	Existing community and voluntary controlled schools may also publish proposals to become self-governing (foundation) or trust schools. It will normally be for individual governing bodies to decide those proposals, but where the governing body has failed to take proper account of the views of a majority of parents about the acquisition of a trust or there are serious concerns about the impact of the acquisition of a trust on school standards, the local authority may refer the proposals to the schools adjudicator whose decision on them will be final.

Independent State Schools

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the impact on future pay levels for teachers of the proposed new independent state schools.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 1 November 2005
	Teachers at trust schools will be subject to the same legal provisions on pay and conditions as teachers at other maintained schools.

Labour Statistics

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many entry to employment trainees found employment in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005 to date;
	(2)  how many entry to employment places are available in England; how many have been taken up; and what the drop-out rate is.

Jacqui Smith: Entry to Employment (E2E) is the main programme for young people not yet ready to enter an Apprenticeship, employment or learning opportunities directly. The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) guarantees all young people for whom E2E is appropriate, a place on the programme. This is in addition to the commitment that every 16 to 18-year-old can have a place in post-16 education and training.
	The LSC collects data by academic year. In 2003/04 10,430 left E2E for employment. In 2004/05 11,226 left E2E for employment. Drop out information is not collected by the LSC. In 2004/05, 43 per cent. of E2E leavers went into a positive destination (Jobs, Further Education or Work Based Learning). This has risen from 35 per cent. in 2003/04. The number of places made available in England, in 2004/05 was 49,523. Of these 47,702 were taken up based on provisional 2004/05 data.

Learning Methods

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2005, Official Report, columns 488–9W, on learning methods, if she will define the term (a) multiplication facts and (b) multiplication tables.

Jacqui Smith: An example of a multiplication fact is 8 x 7 = 56. A set of facts make up what are commonly known as multiplication tables.

Music Teaching

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her assessment is of the (a) availability and (b) standards of the teaching of music at (i) secondary and (ii) primary schools.

Jacqui Smith: As part of the national curriculum, music is a statutory subject for all pupils between the ages of five and 14. Music can also be taken as an option at key stage 4.
	Ofsted's annual report for 2004–05 continues to show a steady improvement in all aspects of primary school music, which is now good or very good in nearly six schools in 10. This picture is replicated at secondary level, where teaching at KS3 is now good or better in approaching three quarters of schools. Teaching is of significantly higher quality in both key stage 4 and post-16 courses.

Non-contact Time Obligations

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will take steps to assist schools with the lowest pupil funding level to secure adequate funding to enable statutory non-contact time obligations to be met; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Work force reform, including statutory non-contact time, is about more than additional funding. We have always said that contractual changes, such as planning, preparation and assessment (PPA), would require reform as well as investment and we firmly believe that much can be achieved within schools from redeploying existing resources to introduce and sustain the changes. Schools will need to consider their own circumstances and the opportunities available to them—some strategies may be easier to implement than others. There is no one size fits all" approach and schools will need to decide what strategies would be the most appropriate for them.
	In introducing new arrangements for school funding from 2006–07, we intend to deliver greater certainty and stability for schools. Our intention is to set the minimum funding guarantee for 2006–07 at a level which covers anticipated average cost pressures on schools, including the full-year costs of implementing work force reform, subject to a final assessment of those pressures. We will announce details of authorities1 funding allocations in the late autumn together with the level of the guarantee.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) publish their advice to Government, (b) publish an annual report and (c) lay an annual report before Parliament; and whether it is a statutory requirement in each case.

Jacqui Smith: My Department sponsors three advisory non-departmental public bodies: the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy (IAGTP), the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) and the Teachers' TV Board of Governors. The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy does not have a statutory base but publishes its advice and recommendations to the Government in an annual report which is announced in Parliament via a written ministerial statement. There is no statutory requirement to do so.
	The School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) has a statutory base but is not under a statutory duty to publish any report to the Government. However the Prime Minister and Secretary of State are under a statutory duty to publish a report from the STRB. There is no requirement for the STRB to publish an annual report or to lay a report before Parliament.
	The Teachers' TV Board of Governors does not have a statutory base but does publish an annual report that contains its advice to Government on its website at www.ttvboard.org. It does not lay an annual report before Parliament and there is no statutory requirement to do so.

Non-departmental Public Bodies

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which advisory non-departmental public bodies sponsored by her Department (a) hold public meetings, (b) conduct public consultation exercises, (c) conduct consultation exercises with outside commercial interests, (d) publish a register of members' interests, (e) publish agendas for meetings and (f) publish the minutes of meetings; and whether it is under a statutory requirement in each case.

Jacqui Smith: My Department sponsors three Advisory Non-Departmental Public Bodies: the Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy (IAGTP), the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) and the Teachers' TV Board of Governors. The information requested is listed as follows:
	(a) None.
	(b) The School Teachers' Review Body conducts consultation with representative bodies within several categories prescribed under the Education Act 2002.
	(c) None.
	(d) The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy, School Teachers' Review Body and the Teachers' TV Board of Governors.
	(e) None.
	(f) The Teachers' TV Board of Governors publishes summaries of its meetings on its website at www.tttv.board.org

Ofsted

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of which additional resources may be required by Ofsted to enable it to investigate concerns raised by parents as proposed in her recent White Paper.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 1 November 2005
	We are working with Ofsted to ensure that these proposals are implemented effectively and that the resource requirements are considered as part of this process.

Parents' Councils

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what mechanisms she will introduce to resolve potential disputes between governing bodies and the proposed parents' councils.

Jacqui Smith: We expect that governing bodies and parent councils will generally have a constructive relationship, and this has been the experience in a recent pilot project.
	Parent councils are a structure for parents to raise issues and concerns, and for the governing body to consult with parents. Governing bodies will remain responsible and accountable in law for conducting the school. If the parent council were to disagree with a governing body decision, it would have access to the same complaints routes as an individual parent.

Parents' Councils

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what powers she intends to give to the parents' councils proposed in her recent White Paper.

Jacqui Smith: Parent councils are intended to act as a formal channel for parental representation. Governing bodies will remain responsible and accountable in law for conducting the school and so parent councils will have a consultative and advisory role, rather than having decision-making powers.
	In the broader context of the new duty on governing bodies to have regard to parents' views, parent councils are a means to strengthen the voice of parents, and to enable more parents to express their opinions and influence decisions, rather than a fundamental change in how decisions are taken within a school. Governing bodies will be expected to use the parent council (where there is one) as a means to seek views, as well as to listen if it raises its own issues and ideas. The new Ofsted self-assessment and inspection arrangements require schools to assess and demonstrate how well they listen to and act on parents' views.

Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will reconsider her decision not to award Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley, a refurbishment grant; and for what reasons the refurbishment grant application was unsuccessful;
	(2)  for what reasons Prince Henry's Grammar School, Otley, was not eligible for the building schools for the future initiative; what assessment her Department has made of the number of schools which are ineligible for funding due to a high level of exam performance but which require refurbishment; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 28 October 2005
	Every secondary school in the country is eligible for Building Schools for the Future (BSF) investment. It is a strategic programme that aims to rebuild or renew all secondary schools that need it over 15 years, subject to future public spending decisions. Local authorities and schools are being prioritised in accordance with the published criteria of relative educational and social need, based on the geographical groupings of schools proposed by local authorities. Prince Henry's Grammar School is currently prioritised to receive BSF investment in waves 13 to 15 of this programme.
	Building Schools for the Future, however, is a long-term programme that represents around only 40 per cent. of our annual capital investment in schools. The majority of our remaining support is allocated directly to both authorities and schools to enable them to address their most pressing needs; including those schools which require refurbishment but are not prioritised for investment in the early years of BSF. Local authorities and schools prioritise the use of this funding in accordance with their locally prepared asset management plans. Leeds and its schools have been allocated over £70 million over the following three years to prioritise, and Prince Henry's Grammar School has been directly allocated £412,000 in devolved formula capital over the following three years.
	With regard to Leeds' unsuccessful application for Targeted Capital Fund support for this school, our funding decisions are final, and my officials have already provided direct feedback to the authority as to why this particular application did not succeed in what is always a highly competitive bidding process.

Pupil Attainment

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils left school at 16 years with fewer than five A*-C GCSE grades in (a) Ribble Valley and (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is given in the follow table.
	
		Percentage of 15-year-olds(62) achieving less than five A*-C grades at GCSE and equivalent(63)
		
			  Ribble Valley parliamentary constituency Lancashire local authority 
		
		
			 2000 36.6 50.4 
			 2001 36.7 49.9 
			 2002 33.8 48.3 
			 2003 35.4 46.6 
			 2004(64) 38.2 46.2 
		
	
	(62) 15-year-old pupils at the beginning of the academic year (ie 31 August).
	(63) Figures are for GCSE and equivalent qualifications for 2004. All previous years are for GCSE/GNVQ only.
	(64) 2004 is the latest available year for which figures are available at both parliamentary constituency and local authority level.

Pupil Expulsion

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria are used to expel a pupil in (a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) upper schools.

Jacqui Smith: It is for each head teacher to decide when it is appropriate to exclude a pupil from school permanently, taking account of all the circumstances of the situation including the need to balance the interests of the pupil against those of the whole school community.
	Head teachers must also have regard to any guidance issued by the Secretary of State, which is applicable equally to all maintained schools, regardless of phase. The guidance states that a decision to exclude a pupil should be taken only in response to serious breaches of the school's behaviour policy and if allowing the pupil to remain in school would seriously harm the education or welfare of the pupil or others in the school. Permanent exclusion will usually be the final step following a wide range of other strategies that have been tried without success. There are, however, some exceptional cases, which are listed in the guidance, where it is appropriate for a head teacher to exclude a pupil permanently for a first or one-off offence.

Pupil Grouping

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which Minister commissioned the review of the literature on the effects of pupil grouping published recently.

Jacqui Smith: The literature review on the effects of pupil grouping, which was published on 27 October 2005, is part of an ongoing research project on pupil grouping which was approved by my right hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, South (Mr. Clarke) and commissioned by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills.

Pupil-teacher Ratio

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if the Government will take steps to employ more teachers to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio.

Jacqui Smith: Teacher numbers are now at their highest level since 1981. Improved pay and conditions and an attractive package of incentives for newly qualified teachers, supported by the recruitment activities of the Training and Development Agency for Schools, have raised the status of the profession and contributed to these record numbers. In primary schools, there was a drop in the number of pupils per qualified teacher between 2004 and 2005, from 22.7 to 22.5. In secondary schools, the number of pupils per qualified teacher decreased from 17.0 in 2004 to 16.7 in 2005. The overall PTR in maintained schools fell from 17.7 to 17.4.
	It is for schools to decide their strategies and priorities for workforce deployment and many schools are employing staff other than teachers to support teachers and pupils as part of a professional school team. There are more support staff than ever before working in our schools, 268,600 (FTE), more than 25,000 more than there were a year ago. The number of FTE teaching assistants in particular has risen by over 11 per cent. this year—and the figure has more than doubled since 1997.
	The large rise in support staff has led to an improvement in the pupil:adult ratio (PAR) in both the primary and secondary phases and, hence, overall. The primary PAR fell from 17.9 in 1997 to 13.4 in 2005, and in secondary from 14.5 to 12.2.
	All figures obtained from the Annual Schools Census.

Qualifications and Curriculum Authority

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what discussions her Department has had with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority regarding the Futures: Meeting the Challenge document;
	(2)  whether the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority document Futures: Meeting the Challenge reflects the policy of her Department;
	(3)  on whose authority the publication of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority document Futures: Meeting the Challenge was approved.

Jacqui Smith: The QCA, a non-departmental body with a statutory remit to review the curriculum, independently published their Futures document in October. They keep the Department informed of the progress they are making on this work, and we are continuing to monitor developments with interest.

School Admissions

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what meetings she has had with representative groups to discuss proposed changes to schools' admissions policies; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: During the last year, Ministers have talked with a wide range of groups, representing parents, schools, local authorities and other interested parties; and have listened to their views of the school admissions system. We know that what parents want is the choice of good schools; and what most schools want is the freedom to admit a wide range of pupils. This has informed our proposals in the White Paper.
	On 18 October, we completed consultation on the revised statutory School Admissions Code of Practice, to which admission authorities for schools must 'have regard'. The Code provides guidance on good and poor practice within the school admissions process. The Secretary of State will be considering responses to the consultation before determining the final content of the Code.

School Admissions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what process a new or expanded school would have to adopt under the proposals in the White Paper if it wished to vary its admissions procedure after the first three years of operation.

Jacqui Smith: New or expanded schools that wish to vary their admission arrangements, after the first three years of operation, would be able to do so under the normal process used by all admission authorities to determine admission arrangements.
	Legislation requires admission authorities to consult annually over their proposed admission arrangements. If agreement cannot be reached locally, another admission authority or a school can object to the independent schools adjudicator, if they believe that the arrangements are not in the best interests of local parents and children.

School Admissions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will seek to legislate to define acceptable admissions criteria for schools.

Jacqui Smith: We have recently consulted on a revised School Admissions Code of Practice, which contains a list of acceptable and appropriate admissions criteria.
	All admission authorities must have regard to the statutory guidance in the code, when determining their admission arrangements. Local authorities are encouraged to object to the independent schools adjudicator, if a school's proposed admission arrangements are not in line with the code, or are not in the best interests of local parents and children.
	We have amended legislation, however, to include aspects of admissions which we think must always be followed, such as giving priority to looked after children and no longer allowing schools to introduce selection by aptitude in technology.

School Admissions

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many appeals there were against allocation of school places in the London borough of Merton in each year since 1997; and how many were upheld.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools: appeals by parents against non-admission of their children, each academic year: 1996/97 to 2003/04 Merton local authority
		
			  Maintained primary 
			   Appeals heard  Appeals decided in parents' favour 
			  Number of appeals lodged Number Percentage(65) Number Percentage(66) 
		
		
			 1996/97 387 253 65.4 128 50.6 
			 1997/98 273 194 71.1 73 37.6 
			 1998/99 374 227 60.7 107 47.1 
			 1999/2000 240 124 51.7 38 30.6 
			 2000/01 229 148 64.6 43 29.1 
			 2001/02 169 106 62.7 12 11.3 
			 2002/03 130 74 56.9 12 16.2 
			 2003/04 102 60 58.8 9 15.0 
		
	
	
		
			  Maintained secondary 
			   Appeals heard Appeals decided in parents' favour 
			  Number of appeals lodged Number Percentage1 Number Percentage(66) 
		
		
			 1996/97 83 51 61.4 22 43.1 
			 1997/98 86 49 57.0 16 32.7 
			 1998/99 143 89 62.2 23 25.8 
			 1999/2000 140 102 72.9 31 30.4 
			 2000/01 134 96 71.6 37 38.5 
			 2001/02 112 68 60.7 20 29.4 
			 2002/03 170 90 52.9 27 30.0 
			 2003/04 173 90 52.0 26 28.9 
		
	
	(65) Number of appeals heard by a committee expressed as a percentage of the number of appeals lodged by parents.
	(66) Number of appeals decided in parents' favour expressed as a percentage of the number of appeals heard by a committee.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census and Admission Appeals Survey

School Closures

David Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools have been designated for closure in each of the last eight years, broken down by (a) local education authority, (b) type of school and (c) number of pupils in the school.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

School Closures

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools have closed in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) local education authority, (b) sector and (c) size.

Jacqui Smith: The information is provided in the tables. The figures include closures of mainstream schools maintained by local authorities and maintained special schools but exclude independent schools.
	The figures include schools that have closed as a result of an amalgamation or local reorganisation of schools and also those where a new school has opened in their place e.g. a school with a religious character, an Academy or a fresh start school. Figures relate to calendar years. Proposed school closures for 31 December 2005 are shown separately and included in the total.
	Since September 1999 decisions on school closures have been determined locally by the LA (for proposals they published where there were no objections), the local School Organisation Committee (SOC) or, where the SOC have been unable to agree a unanimous decision, the independent schools adjudicator. Ministers have no role in the process.
	
		(a) Closures by local authority
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (January to October ) 2005 proposed closures Total 
		
		
			 Barnet 1 1 — — 5 3 — 10 
			 Barnsley — 9 — — — 7 — 16 
			 Bath and North East Somerset — 2 — — 1 7 — 10 
			 Bedfordshire — — — 2 — — — 2 
			 Bexley — 3 1 6 3 — — 13 
			 Birmingham 11 3 4 16 16 6 — 56 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 2 — 2 2 2 1 — 9 
			 Blackpool — 2 1 — — 4 — 7 
			 Bolton — — 6 5 2 — — 13 
			 Bournemouth 2 — — 2 2 — — 6 
			 Bracknell Forest — — 2 — 2 2 — 6 
			 Bradford 74 — — — 1 2 — 77 
			 Brent — — — 1 — — — 1 
			 Brighton and Hove — 2 — — — 1 — 3 
			 Bristol City of 10 — 4 1 1 2 — 18 
			 Bromley 1 — — 2 1 1 — 5 
			 Buckinghamshire 3 5 7 2 — — — 17 
			 Bury 1 — 1 8 2 — — 12 
			 Calderdale 1 — 2 — 3 — — 6 
			 Cambridgeshire 2 3 4 6 2 — — 17 
			 Camden 2 1 1 — — — — 4 
			 Cheshire 5 1 — 6 5 7 — 24 
			 Cornwall — 2 3 2 1 4 — 12 
			 Coventry — 1 6 2 1 2 — 12 
			 Croydon 2 — — 2 2 2 — 8 
			 Cumbria 2 4 9 2 4 5 — 26 
			 Darlington 6 — — 4 5 4 — 19 
			 Derby 3 1 — 1 4 — — 9 
			 Derbyshire — 2 5 3 — — — 10 
			 Devon 2 — — 2 3 8 — 15 
			 Doncaster — 4 5 8 1 1 — 19 
			 Dorset — — — 2 3 5 — 10 
			 Dudley — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Durham — — 7 2 2 4 — 15 
			 Ealing — — 1 2 1 — — 4 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire — — 3 1 4 2 — 10 
			 Enfield 2 — — — — — — 2 
			 Essex 13 11 5 9 3 2 — 43 
			 Gateshead 2 — — — — — — 2 
			 Gloucestershire 6 4 — 1 — 6 — 17 
			 Greenwich 2 10 3 — 2 2 — 19 
			 Hackney 1 1 2 3 — 3 — 10 
			 Halton — 8 — — — — — 8 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham — — 3 2 — — — 5 
			 Hampshire 1 6 1 1 5 2 — 16 
			 Haringey 8 — 3 1 5 — — 17 
			 Harrow — 1 — — — 2 — 3 
			 Hartlepool — 2 — — — — — 2 
			 Havering 2 — 1 1 — — — 4 
			 Herefordshire — — 1 — — 1 — 2 
			 Hertfordshire 4 12 3 5 3 10 4 41 
			 Hillingdon — — 1 — 1 2 — 4 
			 Hounslow — 9 — — — — — 9 
			 Isle of Wight — — — — 1 — — 1 
			 Isles of Scilly — — 5 — — — — 5 
			 Islington — 1 3 — 3 — — 7 
			 Kent 3 2 3 6 4 7 — 25 
			 Kingston upon Hull City of — 4 2 1 — — — 7 
			 Kirklees — — — — — 2 — 2 
			 Knowsley — — 1 1 — — — 2 
			 Lambeth 2 10 4 2 — 1 — 19 
			 Lancashire 2 8 12 — 6 5 — 33 
			 Leeds 1 1 5 — 24 12 — 43 
			 Leicester 1 2 — — 3 — 2 8 
			 Leicestershire 1 2 — 1 2 — — 6 
			 Lewisham — 1 — 1 1 1 — 4 
			 Lincolnshire — 2 — 2 2 2 — 8 
			 Liverpool 3 12 14 14 13 1 — 57 
			 Luton 2 3 — 4 2 — — 11 
			 Manchester 9 7 2 5 5 — — 28 
			 Medway — 1 2 2 — 4 — 9 
			 Merton — — 14 — — — — 14 
			 Middlesbrough 1 — 6 8 — — — 15 
			 Milton Keynes 4 2 — 1 3 — — 10 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne — 4 4 — 1 3 — 12 
			 Newham — 1 — 1 — — — 2 
			 Norfolk 4 3 — 2 — — — 9 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2 2 — 2 — — — 6 
			 North Lincolnshire — — — 2 2 — — 4 
			 North Somerset 1 — — 1 — — — 2 
			 North Tyneside 3 4 4 — — — — 11 
			 Northamptonshire 2 4 4 2 18 9 — 39 
			 Northumberland 3 — — 4 3 3 1 14 
			 Nottingham 1 2 3 2 2 9  19 
			 Nottinghamshire 4 37 6 7 5 3 4 66 
			 Oldham — 6 6 3 2 2 — 19 
			 Oxfordshire 1 3 3 14 — 1 — 22 
			 Peterborough 1 — — — 5 — — 6 
			 Plymouth 2 — 3 — — 4 — 9 
			 Poole — — — — 2 — — 2 
			 Reading 1 2 1 — 1 — — 5 
			 Redbridge 1 10 — — — 2 2 15 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2 3 — 4 2 4 — 15 
			 Richmond upon Thames — — 1 — — — — 1 
			 Rochdale — 6 — 1 2 2 — 11 
			 Rotherham — 2 — 2 1 2 — 7 
			 Rutland — 1 — — — — — 1 
			 Salford 13 7 — — 1 5 — 26 
			 Sandwell 12 2 2 — 1 3 — 20 
			 Sefton 1 1 2 1 3 11 — 19 
			 Sheffield 3 — 8 5 — 1 — 17 
			 Shropshire — — 1 — 1 — — 2 
			 Slough 2 2 — — 3 — — 7 
			 Solihull — — 1 1 — — — 2 
			 Somerset — 2 — — 1 — — 3 
			 South Gloucestershire — 3 — — 3 — — 6 
			 South Tyneside 3 — 2 7 2 — — 14 
			 Southampton 6 — — 4 — — — 10 
			 Southend-on-Sea — 2 — 4 2 4 — 12 
			 Southwark 1 — — 1 — 1 1 4 
			 St. Helens 2 — 2 — 4 2 — 10 
			 Staffordshire 2 — 2 1 6 7 — 18 
			 Stockport 2 2 — — 3 9 — 16 
			 Stockton-on-Tees — 2 4 — 2 2 — 10 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 5 4 5 5 7 2 — 28 
			 Suffolk 2 — 2 — 3 2 — 9 
			 Sunderland — 5 7 3 6 — — 21 
			 Surrey 2 7 3 3 7 2 — 24 
			 Sutton — — 1 2 — — — 3 
			 Swindon 10 — — — 2 — — 12 
			 Tameside — — 4 3 — 1 — 8 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1 2 — — 4 8 — 15 
			 Thurrock — — — 3 4 2 2 11 
			 Torbay — — 1 — — 2 — 3 
			 Tower Hamlets — 2 5 2 — 1 — 10 
			 Trafford — 2 4 — — — — 6 
			 Wakefield 1 7 6 4 1 2 — 21 
			 Walsall 4 — — 3 — 4 2 13 
			 Waltham Forest — 1 2 7 2 — — 12 
			 Wandsworth 2 — — — 2 — — 4 
			 Warrington 1 2 7 — — — — 10 
			 Warwickshire 4 5 — 1 2 4 — 16 
			 West Berkshire — — — — — 4 — 4 
			 West Sussex 2 1 — 2 15 — — 20 
			 Wigan 5 — 1 — 4 2 — 12 
			 Wiltshire — — 2 3 4 8 1 18 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1 — 1 — — — — 2 
			 Wirral — — 1 — — 2 — 3 
			 Wokingham — 1 2 1 — 1 — 5 
			 Wolverhampton 6 1 5 — 3 — — 15 
			 Worcestershire 2 12 — 1 3 3 — 21 
			 York 5 3 5 — 4 — — 17 
			 Total 328 337 293 277 318 284 19 1,856 
		
	
	
		(b) Closures by sector
		
			  2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (January to October) 2005 Proposed closures Total 
		
		
			 Middle deemed Primary 6 4 3 — 9 5 — 27 
			 Middle deemed Secondary 60 18 7 11 21 8 — 125 
			 Nursery 15 15 15 11 10 11 — 77 
			 Primary 182 236 220 207 219 220 19 1,303 
			 Secondary 27 29 29 24 20 16 — 145 
			 Special 38 35 19 24 39 24 — 179 
			 Total 328 337 293 277 318 284 19 1,856 
		
	
	
		(c) Closures by size 
		
			 Number of pupils 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 (January to October) 2005 proposed closures Total 
		
		
			 Not available 328 337 5 1 1 1 — 673 
			 1–100 — — 64 65 71 69 2 271 
			 101–500 — — 212 195 231 208 17 863 
			 501–1,000 — — 11 15 13 5 — 44 
			 1,001–1,500 — — 1 1 2 1 — 5 
			 Total 328 337 293 277 318 284 19 1,856 
		
	
	Note:
	Pupil data are not available prior to 2002

School Discipline

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many serious incidents of violence against teachers have been recorded in (a) faith schools and (b) non-faith schools in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.

School Meals

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department's recent announcement concerning kitchens in new schools will apply to those schools approved for construction, but not yet constructed, before the announcement was made.

Jacqui Smith: The School Meals Review Panel, in its report Turning the Tables: Transforming School Food" published on 3 October 2005, recommended that schools should aspire to achieve the highest quality of provision, which it defined as a hot meal, cooked on-site from fresh and seasonal ingredients. It is preferable if the kitchens are on the school premises, but this may not be sensible in all circumstances. These decisions are, rightly, made locally, and my Department does not generally approve school designs individually, which are procured by local authorities or schools. We expect all schools and authorities to consider carefully and seriously our ambitions when building or refurbishing schools, whether they were started before or after our announcements on raising the standards of school food.

School Expulsions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils left school due to expulsion in (a) the Tees Valley and (b) Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: Requested information relating to the number of pupils who have been permanently excluded from school is given in the tables.
	Figures for the number of permanent exclusions during 2004/05 academic year should be available in June 2006.
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools(67)(5508280068): number and percentage of permanently excluded pupils—1997/98 to 2003/04
		
			  1997/98 1998/99 1999/2000 
			  Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) 
		
		
			 Tees Valley 164 0.14 111 0.09 109 0.09 
			 841 Darlington 29 0.19 26 0.17 27 0.17 
			 805 Hartlepool 34 0.20 17 0.10 15 0.09 
			 806 Middlesbrough 23 0.09 17 0.07 3 0.01 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 35 0.13 26 0.10 37 0.14 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 43 0.13 25 0.07 27 0.08 
		
	
	
		
			  2000/01(69) 2001/02(69) 2002/03(69) 2003/04(69) 
			  Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) Number Percentage(70) 
		
		
			 Tees Valley 96 0.08 108 0.09 113 0.10 135 0.12 
			 841 Darlington 23 0.15 7 0.04 9 0.06 22 0.14 
			 805 Hartlepool 22 0.13 32 0.19 40 0.24 44 0.27 
			 806 Middlesbrough 7 0.03 13 0.05 9 0.04 18 0.09 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 29 0.11 33 0.13 32 0.13 33 0.13 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 15 0.05 23 0.07 23 0.07 18 0.06 
		
	
	(67) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(68) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(69) Figures are as confirmed by local authorities via the data checking exercise.
	(70) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils, excluding dually registered pupils.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools(71)(5508280072): number and percentage of permanently excludedpupils—1997/98 to 2003/04
		
			 Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland Number Percentage(74) 
		
		
			 1997/98 22 0.14 
			 1998/99 10 0.06 
			 1999/2000 13 0.08 
			 2000/01(73) 6 0.04 
			 2001/02(73) 10 0.07 
			 2002/03(73) 6 0.04 
			 2003/04(73) 8 0.06 
		
	
	(71) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(72) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(73) Figures are as confirmed by local authorities via the data checking exercise.
	(74) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils, excluding dually registered pupils.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census

School Expulsions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many youths who have been expelled from school are without a school place in (a) the Tees Valley and (b) Middlesbrough, South and East Cleveland constituency.

Jacqui Smith: We do not hold information centrally on the numbers of excluded pupils who are without a place in school. However, from September 2002 all local authorities (LAs) have been committed to providing suitable full-time education for permanently excluded pupils from the sixteenth school day of their exclusion. Since then all but a handful of LAs have met this commitment and the Department works with any that are not meeting it to help them achieve it.

School Expulsions

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children have been expelled from (a) faith schools and (b) non-faith schools in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The requested information is given in the table.
	Figures for the number of permanent exclusions during 2004/05 academic year should be available in June 2006.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools (75) number of permanently excluded pupils by denomination of schools—1997/98 to 2003/04
		
			 England   
			  Primary 
			  Non-denominational(76) Faith schools(76) All schools 
			  Number Percentage (77) Number Percentage (77) Number Percentage(77) 
		
		
			 1997/98 1,210 0.04 330 0.03 1,540 0.03 
			 1998/99 1,100 0.03 270 0.02 1,370 0.03 
			 1999/2000 980 0.03 250 0.02 1,230 0.03 
			 2000/01 (78) 1,150 0.04 290 0.02 1,440 0.03 
			 2001/02 (78) 1,190 0.04 270 0.02 1,450 0.03 
			 2002/03 (78) 1,070 0.03 230 0.02 1,300 0.03 
			 2003/04 (78) 1,030 0,03 230 0.02 1,270 0.03 
		
	
	
		
			  Secondary 
			  Non-denominational2 Faith schools2 All schools 
			  Number Percentage3 Number Percentage3 Number Percentage 3 
		
		
			 1997/98 8,710 0.35 1,480 0.24 10,190 0.33 
			 1998/99 7,680 0.31 950 0.15 8,640 0.28 
			 1999/2000 6,030 0.22 690 0.14 6,710 0.21 
			 2000/01 (78) 6,500 0.24 810 0.16 7,310 0.23 
			 2001/02 (78) 6,920 0.25 830 0.16 7,740 0.24 
			 2002/03 (78) 6,810 0.24 870 0.17 7,690 0.23 
			 2003/04 (78) 7,340 0.26 980 0.19 8,320 0.25 
		
	
	(75) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(76) Religious character of schools has been sourced from Edubase—the Department's database of educational establishments.
	(77) The number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of pupils in schools of same denomination.
	(78) Estimates based on incomplete pupil level data.
	Note:
	Totals may not appear to equal the sum of component parts because numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census

School Playing Fields

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school playing fields have been sold off since 1997 in Gravesham.

Jacqui Smith: Until October 1998, only grant-maintained schools needed to obtain the Secretary of State's consent before disposing of any land, including playing fields. Prior to October 1998, there was no regulation of the sale of school playing fields at local authority controlled schools. If a local authority wanted to sell a school playing field there was nothing to stop it and it could spend the sale proceeds as it wished.
	Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced in October 1998 to stop the indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Since October 1998 we have ensured that only sports pitches that are surplus to the needs of local schools and their communities are sold and all the money is ploughed back into improving sports or educational facilities.
	Since 1997, two applications involving the loss of an area of school playing field capable of forming at least a small sports pitch have been approved in Gravesham. An application to sell an off-site playing field at Chantry Primary School in Gravesend was approved in November 2000. The money raised from the sale has been used to improve the school's on-site sports provision. More recently, in October 2005, we approved an application to dispose of the site, including the playing fields, of the former Southfields School in Gravesend. As part of the proposed development of this site, the purchaser has agreed that the playing fields will be retained, and improved, for use by local schools and the community.

School Sport

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the value of school playing fields sold in England in each of the last five years.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not held centrally.
	However, the number of approved applications to dispose of an area of school playing field capable of forming at least a small sports pitch in England in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2000/01 28 
			 2001/02 29 
			 2002/03 19 
			 2003/04 13 
			 2004/05 11

School Teaching Methods

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  whom she has asked to conduct the research into ability grouping referred to in her Department's White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All";
	(2)  what the terms of reference were for the research into ability grouping referred to in her Department's White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All";
	(3)  whether the research into ability grouping referred to in her Department's White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All", will include an evaluation of (a) within-class ability grouping, (b) between-class ability grouping and (c) accelerated and enriched learning programmes for the gifted and talented;
	(4)  if she will ensure that the research into ability grouping referred to in the White Paper, Higher Standards, Better Schools for All", will include evaluation of research by James A. Kulik of the University of Michigan.

Jacqui Smith: My Department has commissioned a research project on pupil grouping from a consortium of four universities: the University of Brighton, the University of Sussex, the University of Cambridge, and the Institute of Education at the University of London.
	The terms of reference for the research project were to investigate the effects of different forms of organisational (between class) grouping and within class grouping on pupil learning in primary and secondary schools. This includes analysis of grouping practices in relation to gifted and talented pupils, as well as pupils with other characteristics.
	The project consists of an extended literature review, which was published on 27 October 2005, and a fieldwork phase, which is expected to report in early 2006. The literature review references research by James A. Kulik and Chen-Lin C. Kulik.

School Travel

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government is taking to encourage children to walk to and from school; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The Government wants to reduce the number of cars on the school run and make it possible for more pupils to walk, cycle or use public transport in safety. The Departments of Transport and for Education and Skills are, through their Travelling to School" project, providing support to all local authorities in England to help them achieve this.

Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who a local authority will be required to consult before deciding on a request to set up a new school; and whether that consultation will include (a) parents and (b) pupils at other schools that might be affected by such a proposal.

Jacqui Smith: Under the proposals in the White Paper, the local authority will be under a duty to be responsive to a request from parents to set up a new school, and, where the proposals have support, to offer consultancy support to help them develop the proposals. The local authority will decide whether the proposal to establish a new school should be taken forward, or whether the demands can be better met in other ways. Parents will have a right of appeal to the schools adjudicator if their proposals are rejected.
	The details of these arrangements, including consultation requirements, will be set out in regulations and guidance, on which we will consult following the introduction of the Education Bill.

Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria she will adopt to decide whether an organisation is inappropriate to run a trust school.

Jacqui Smith: All trusts will by law be charities and will be subject to regulation by the Charities Commission. We will require trusts to have specific charitable objects and all members of trusts will be under a statutory duty to conduct the trust in accordance with its objects. In the first instance it will be for the governing body to consider whether to form a partnership with a trust and to decide how that will enhance the school's ethos and character. The local authority can refer the governing body's decision to the schools adjudicator for determination if there are serious concerns.
	We propose to disqualify certain individuals from being involved with trusts. These include persons disqualified under the Company Directors Disqualification but also persons who have previously been removed as charity trustees or who have been disqualified from working with children and young people. We are considering what role the schools commissioner might play and whether further safeguards are needed to prevent the entry of inappropriate trusts.

Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria will be adopted to decide whether a school's application for additional flexibility under the proposals in the White Paper will raise standards; and what information will be required from a school making such an application.

Jacqui Smith: The current criteria are laid down in the Power to Innovate provisions and there are no plans to change them.
	Information and guidance is published on the DfES website at:
	http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/innovation-unit/Information/powerinnovate/?version=1

Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how parents will be consulted when a governing body proposes that its school should become a trust school; which parents will be consulted; and whether consultations will include the parents of pupils at feeder primary schools.

Jacqui Smith: The details of how parents will be consulted will be subject to regulations and guidance. We will consult on these before bringing them into effect after the introduction of the Education Bill.

Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she intends that a trust running a school will be permitted to use income received or generated for charitable purposes unconnected with the school.

Jacqui Smith: We will require trusts to have specific charitable objects relating to the schools with which they are associated. Any income generated by a trust could only be used for those objects.
	Trust schools' delegated budgets will be under the control of their governing bodies, and not their trusts. Similarly, income generated by a trust school from activities such as letting the school premises will also normally come under the control of the governing body, rather than the trust.

Schools

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils attend each (a) primary school, (b) secondary school and (c) special needs school in the Hemel Hempstead constituency.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools1: Number of pupils2—as at January 2005—Hemel Hempstead parliamentary constituency
		
			  Number of pupils 
			 URN LEA number DfES number Establishment name School type Headcount Full-time equivalent 
		
		
			 117097 919 2023 Hobletts Manor Junior School Junior School 7–11 or 8–11 238 238.0 
			 117100 919 2031 Flamstead School Infant and Junior School 5–11 109 106.0 
			 117101 919 2032 Gaddesden Row Junior Mixed and Infant School Infant and Junior School 5–11 43 43.0 
			 117106 919 2040 George Street Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 228 214.0 
			 117107 919 2041 Boxmoor Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 238 223.0 
			 117108 919 2044 Two Waters Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 230 217.0 
			 117109 919 2045 Tudor Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 173 163.0 
			 117110 919 2047 South Hill Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 221 221.0 
			 117127 919 2074 Markyate Village School and Nursery Infant and Junior School 5–11 185 166.5 
			 117197 919 2184 Hobletts Manor Infants' School Infant School 5–7 or 5–8 228 199.0 
			 117198 919 2185 Chaulden Junior School Junior School 7–11 or 8–11 129 129.0 
			 117202 919 2193 Chaulden Infants' and Nursery Infant School 5–7 or 5–8 115 98.5 
			 117214 919 2210 Chambersbury Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 210 201.5 
			 117215 919 2211 Broadfield Junior School Junior School 7–11 or 8–11 225 225.0 
			 117216 919 2212 Broadfield Infants' School Infant School 5–7 or 5–8 216 194.0 
			 117231 919 2243 Micklem Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 207 196.5 
			 117234 919 2251 The Reddings Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 152 144.0 
			 117239 919 2256 Rossgate Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 293 280.5 
			 117241 919 2259 Martindale Primary and Nursery School Infant and Junior School 5–11 160 151.5 
			 117249 919 2274 Gade Valley Junior Mixed Infant and Nursery School Infant and Junior School 5–11 233 220.5 
			 117256 919 2293 Pixies Hill Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 207 207.0 
			 117282 919 2337 The Hammond Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 222 211.5 
			 117283 919 2338 Kings Langley Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 429 405.5 
			 117333 919 2422 Lime Walk Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 217 205.5 
			 117335 919 2426 Aycliffe Drive Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 322 303.0 
			 117336 919 2427 Holtsmere End Junior School Junior School 7–11 or 8–11 200 200.0 
			 117343 919 2438 Barncroft Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 137 130.0 
			 117344 919 2439 Jupiter Drive Junior Mixed and Infant School Infant and Junior School 5–11 139 139.0 
			 117349 919 2448 Brockswood Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 152 152.0 
			 117359 919 2458 Eastbrook Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 180 170.5 
			 117365 919 2466 Belswains Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 230 204.0 
			 117368 919 2469 Hobbs Hill Wood Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 485 455.0 
			 117377 919 2995 Holtsmere End Infant and Nursery School Infant School 5–7 or 5–8 243 203.5 
			 117381 919 2999 Bellgate Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 233 216.0 
			 117414 919 3049 Potten End Church of England First School First School 5–9 153 141.0 
			 117416 919 3054 Leverstock Green Church of England Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 280 263.5 
			 117418 919 3302 Nash Mills Church of England Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 218 203.5 
			 117433 919 3335 Great Gaddesden Church of England Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 86 80.5 
			 117443 919 3352 Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 84 84.0 
			 117468 919 3386 St. Cuthbert Mayne Roman Catholic Junior School Junior School 7–11 or 8–11 240 240.0 
			 117471 919 3391 Saint Albert the Great Catholic Primary School Infant and Junior School 5–11 229 216.5 
			 117484 919 3409 St. Rose's Catholic Infants School Infant School 5–7 or 5–8 220 195.5 
			 117500 919 4005 The Hemel Hempstead School Comprehensive all-through 11–18 1,135 1,135.0 
			 117512 919 4029 Adeyfield School Comprehensive all-through 11–18 778 778.0 
			 117523 919 4080 Longdean School Comprehensive all-through 11–18 1,223 1,223.0 
			 117526 919 4096 Kings Langley School Comprehensive all-through 11–18 985 985.0 
			 117528 919 4100 The Cavendish School Comprehensive all-through 11–18 1,144 1,144.0 
			 117552 919 4499 The Astley Cooper School Comprehensive all-through 11–18 820 820.0 
			 117557 919 4619 John F Kennedy Roman Catholic School Comprehensive all-through 11–18 1,078 1,078.0 
			 117668 919 7009 Boxmoor House School Special (Maintained Day) 47 47.0 
			 117672 919 7013 The Collett School Special (Maintained Day) 124 124.0 
			 117682 919 7025 Woodfield School Special (Maintained Day) 65 64.5 
			 131319 919 7047 Haywood Grove School Special (Maintained Day) 26 26.0 
		
	
	(79) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(80) Excludes dually registered pupils.
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census

Schools White Paper

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills further to her oral statement of 25 October 2005, Official Report, column 185, on the Schools White Paper, what steps schools will be required to take to ensure fair access to them for all pupils living in the relevant community.

Jacqui Smith: Schools' admission arrangements are determined locally. Admission authorities for schools are already required to ensure that their admission arrangements comply with Equal Opportunities legislation. They are also required to have regard to the School Admissions Code Of Practice when determining their admission policies, to ensure that admission criteria and information published for parents are sufficiently clear, fair and objective to give applicants a reasonable indication of their chances of securing a place. The code recommends that criteria should be, as far as possible, inclusive of all elements of the local community.
	We recognise that no one approach to ensuring fair access for children will work in all circumstances, and admission arrangements should be determined in light of local needs and circumstances. However, the White Paper proposes making it easier to introduce pupil banding. This provides a means of ensuring that a school's intake is representative of the full ability range of either applicants for a particular school, of children in the area as a whole, or of the national ability profile—depending on the type of banding adopted.
	All proposals for new schools must set out their proposed admission arrangements, and indicate how these will promote community and social integration and choice. Successful schools will also be allowed to expand if they can show their admission arrangements are in line with the Admissions Code. In both instances the agreed admission arrangements will be set for three years, after which they will be subject to annual consultation locally.
	We have also recently amended legislation to ensure that priority is given to looked after children, as one of the most vulnerable groups in the community.
	Furthermore, we propose to extend entitlement to free transport for disadvantaged children, so that parental choice is not restricted by concerns about the cost and availability of transport.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) specialist science colleges and schools and (b) science academies have been established in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Science specialism was first introduced in 2002. The numbers of specialist Science Colleges becoming operational in each year are: 24 in 2002, 97 in 2003,104 in 2004 and 44 in 2005. The following numbers chose science as part of a combined specialism: five in 2003, 13 in 2004 and 14 in 2005. In 2004, 12 schools chose science as a second specialism at redesignation. Two of the 27 open Academies have a Science specialism; Stockley Academy, Hillingdon opened in 2004 and specialises in Science and Technology, Macmillan Academy opened in 2005 and specialises in science and PE.
	The Government are committed to improving young people's attainment in science and the number of young people progressing to science study at higher levels.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps the Government are taking to increase the number of qualified science teachers in state schools; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The number of people recruited to science teacher training in England from 1999 to 2005 is given in Table 1.
	
		Table 1: Science teacher training
		
			  Recruitment 
		
		
			 1999/2000 2,362 
			 2000/01 2,413 
			 2001/02 2,594 
			 2002/03 2,701 
			 2003/04 2,871 
			 2004/05 2,806 
		
	
	Since 2000 we have provided £6,000 bursaries to PGCE trainee science teachers and have also provided them with a £4,000 Golden Hello once they have successfully completed their induction. From September 2005 trainee science teachers have been provided with a £7,000 bursary and from September 2006 the bursary will increase again to £9,000. Science teachers who received the increased bursary will also be provided with an increased Golden Hello of £5,000, once they have successfully completed their induction.
	The number of people recruited to teach science through the employment-based routes into teaching in England from 1999 to 2004 is given in Table 2.
	
		Table 2: Science employment-based routes into teaching
		
			  Recruitment 
		
		
			 1999/2000 60 
			 2000/01 170 
			 2001/02 460 
			 2002/03 520 
			 2003/04 660 
		
	
	The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) is now funding nine enhancement courses to increase the number of people able to start initial teacher training. As a result of the pilot courses, this year 74 additional people who were previously unable to train as science teachers will begin initial teacher training with a specialism in either physics or chemistry. Enhancement courses will be made available nationally from January 2006.
	In 2004, 2,711 science trainees successfully completed initial teacher training and gained qualified teacher status; this is 41.9 per cent. (801) more newly qualified science teachers than in 1999.
	Over the last three years, in order to attract more science undergraduates into teaching we have been running the very successful Student Associate Scheme in partnership with the TDA. The scheme places high quality undergraduates in schools for up to 20 days to provide curriculum support for teachers and to carry out project work with pupils. From the academic year 2003/04 to 2004/05, the scheme has placed around 4,500 science undergraduates in schools and we expect that figure to rise by more than 3,000 in the current 2005/06 academic year.
	The Government are committed to improving young people's attainment in science and the number progressing to science study at higher levels.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have gained GCSEs in dual science in each year since 1997, broken down by grade; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be found in the following table.
	
		Table 1: Number of 15-year-old pupils(81) achieving GCSE Double Award Science by grade
		
			 Thousand 
			  A* A B C D E F G U(82) X(83) Total(84) 
		
		
			 1997 16.1 31.5 76.6 88.7 92.7 68.5 38.0 11.5 6.0 10.1 439.6 
			 1998 15.3 33.8 55.2 110.3 92.1 64.7 36.1 13.8 8.9 0.8 431.0 
			 1999 16.8 33.9 55.5 113.6 95.6 67.0 37.6 14.0 7.5 0.5 441.9 
			 2000 17.5 35.3 54.7 117.7 96.5 65.5 35.8 13.7 7.7 0.7 445.0 
			 2001 18.8 37.1 57.7 126.1 97.6 66.7 37.1 14.4 8.0 0.6 464.1 
			 2002 19.0 37.2 59.1 127.1 97.7 66.8 36.2 14.1 8.5 0.7 466.5 
			 2003 18.2 39.1 60.9 131.8 92.8 63.7 39.0 16.8 9.8 0.8 473.0 
			 2004 20.4 40.2 63.5 135.7 91.4 64.1 37.3 16.5 9.8 0.7 479.6 
			 2005(85) 21.2 40.6 63.1 127.9 86.5 54.8 31.2 13.3 8.2 0.7 447.4 
		
	
	(81) Age at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).
	(82) Grade U refers to pupils who are ungraded or unclassified.
	(83) Grade X refers to pupils who were absent or results pending.
	(84) As numbers are rounded, figures in each row will not sum exactly to row totals.
	(85) Figures for 2005 are provisional. All other figures are final.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students have gained (a) an A level, (b) an AS level and (c) a GCSE in (i) biology or human biology, (ii) chemistry and (iii) physics in each year since 1997, broken down by grade; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be found in the following tables:
	(a) A level examination results of 16 to 18-year–old 1 students by grade
	
		Thousand
		
			  A B C D E Other (88) A-E passes Total (91) 
		
		
			 Biological sciences   
			 1997 70.2 93.5 91.7 85.0 70.1 65.5 410.5 476.0 
			 1998 79.3 95.7 94.6 86.7 70.8 61.8 427.1 489.0 
			 1999 82.1 90.7 93.0 84.4 66.0 55.7 416.2 471.9 
			 2000 81.9 91.6 91.9 81.7 64.4 50.4 411.5 461.9 
			 2001 83.2 89.5 88.7 75.9 61.1 47.5 398.5 445.9 
			 2002 96.6 88.8 89.9 81.8 61.7 35.3 418.7 454.1 
			 2003 94.8 91.5 89.6 76.8 59.3 27.1 412.0 439.0 
			 2004 99.6 94.8 91.9 76.9 55.8 23.4 419.0 442.4 
			 2005 (87) 105.2 99.8 94.5 79.3 57.0 23.1 435.7 458.8 
			 Chemistry 
			 1997 77.8 77.3 66.9 53.9 43.4 45.0 319.3 364.3 
			 1998 87.7 77.8 69.4 54.8 41.0 40.4 330.7 371.0 
			 1999 88.8 77.4 67.6 53.4 37.6 33.6 324.8 358.3 
			 2000 90.3 78.2 65.8 51.9 35.2 31.5 321.4 352.9 
			 2001 89.8 74.3 63.0 47.7 35.2 28.7 310.1 338.7 
			 2002 91.3 75.0 62.0 47.1 31.7 16.1 307.1 323.2 
			 2003 90.6 75.2 58.9 44.2 29.5 12.3 298.3 310.7 
			 2004 97.6 78.5 61.3 44.3 29.1 10.6 310.7 321.3 
			 2005 (87) 99.0 83.0 63.9 46.4 29.2 11.6 321.5 333.1 
			 Physics 
			 1997 62.1 62.1 52.5 45.0 32.8 33.3 254.5 287.8 
			 1998 68.0 61.5 55.4 46.1 33.7 32.1 264.6 296.7 
			 1999 72.1 59.3 55.5 45.5 33.5 29.6 265.9 295.5 
			 2000 71.0 56.1 51.7 42.7 31.9 28.4 253.5 281.9 
			 2001 70.4 56.1 51.7 41.3 32.3 28.6 251.7 280.3 
			 2002 74.9 56.9 51.6 44.9 32.6 17.7 260.9 278.6 
			 2003 72.1 55.1 48.7 41.9 31.1 13.9 248.9 262.8 
			 2004 71.0 51.2 47.1 37.8 27.2 11.8 234.3 246.1 
			 2005 (87) 69.2 51.5 44.8 37.5 27.2 11.7 230.1 241.8 
		
	
	(b) AS level examination results of 16 to 18-year-old 1 students by grade
	
		Thousand
		
			  A B C D E Other (88) A-E passes Total (91) 
		
		
			 Biological sciences   
			 2001 9.0 8.5 9.1 8.7 7.1 8.5 42.4 50.9 
			 2002 9.3 8.3 8.9 8.7 7.8 10.1 42.9 53.0 
			 2003 8.5 8.2 9.0 9.3 9.1 11.4 44.1 55.4 
			 2004 8.4 8.7 9.3 9.6 9.0 11.2 45.0 56.2 
			 2005 (87) 8.2 8.8 9.8 9.6 9.2 11.3 45.7 56.9 
			 Chemistry 
			 2001 7.7 6.7 6.3 5.3 3.9 4.8 30.0 34.8 
			 2002 7.4 6.3 6.3 5.8 4.8 5.5 30.6 36.1 
			 2003 7.4 6.5 6.5 6.2 5.2 6.0 31.9 37.9 
			 2004 7.2 6.6 6.7 6.3 5.4 6.5 32.1 38.6 
			 2005 (87) 7.3 7.1 7.0 6.4 5.6 6.7 33.4 40.1 
			 Physics 
			 2001 6.7 5.4 5.4 4.6 3.6 4.5 25.7 30.1 
			 2002 6.6 5.3 5.3 4.7 4.0 5.4 25.9 31.2 
			 2003 6.1 4.9 5.0 4.6 4.3 5.4 25.0 30.4 
			 2004 5.9 4.8 5.0 4.7 4.1 5.4 24.5 29.9 
			 2005 (87) 5.6 4.8 4.9 4.6 4.0 5.2 23.9 29.2 
		
	
	(c) GCSE examination results of 15-year–old 1 pupils by grade
	
		Thousand
		
			  A* A B C D E F G U (89) X (90) Total (91) 
		
		
			 Biological sciences  
			 1997 4.4 9.8 11.3 6.7 2.4 1.1 0.4 0.1 0.2 0.1 36.6 
			 1998 4.7 10.6 10.6 7.6 2.8 1.0 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 37.9 
			 1999 5.7 10.4 11.0 7.5 2.8 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.0 38.8 
			 2000 5.7 10.9 10.8 7.8 2.8 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.0 39.4 
			 2001 6.7 10.8 11.0 7.9 2.8 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 40.5 
			 2002 6.8 11.2 11.2 7.5 2.6 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 40.6 
			 2003 7.2 11.8 11.7 8.3 3.0 0.9 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.1 43.6 
			 2004 8.0 12.7 11.5 8.1 2.9 0.8 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.0 44.8 
			 2005 (87) 8.5 13.5 12.0 8.6 3.1 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.0 47.5 
			 Chemistry
			 1997 5.5 8.2 10.5 7.3 2.2 0.9 0.3 0.1 0.2 0.1 35.1 
			 1998 5.4 10.2 10.1 7.1 2.4 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 36.6 
			 1999 6.3 10.2 9.9 7.3 2.7 0.8 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 37.7 
			 2000 6.4 10.3 9.8 7.4 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 37.7 
			 2001 6.6 10.8 9.8 7.6 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.0 38.8 
			 2002 6.9 10.8 9.7 7.7 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 39.1 
			 2003 7.7 11.1 10.3 8.6 3.1 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 42.0 
			 2004 8.8 11.6 10.4 8.2 3.0 0.7 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.0 43.1 
			 2005 (87) 9.6 11.8 11.0 8.8 3.0 0.6 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 45.1 
			 Physics
			 1997 5.3 8.4 10.4 6.6 2.2 1.0 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 34.5 
			 1998 6.3 9.3 9.4 7.2 2.7 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.0 36.2 
			 1999 7.4 9.5 9.2 7.2 2.7 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.0 37.2 
			 2000 6.9 10.1 9.5 7.1 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 37.5 
			 2001 7.1 10.5 9.4 7.6 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 38.4 
			 2002 7.6 10.5 9.1 7.6 2.8 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 38.7 
			 2003 7.9 11.1 9.8 8.1 3.1 0.7 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.0 41.1 
			 2004 8.7 11.8 10.1 8.1 2.8 0.6 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.0 42.5 
			 2005 (87) 9.4 12.2 11.0 8.2 2.9 0.6 0.1 0.0 0.1 0.0 44.7 
		
	
	(86) Age at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).
	(87) Figures for 2005 are provisional. All other figures are final.
	(88) Includes ungraded, no award (absent/ declined) and pending.
	(89) Grade U refers to pupils who are ungraded or unclassified.
	(90) Grade X refers to pupils who were absent or results pending.
	(91) As numbers are rounded, figures in each row will not sum exactly to row totals.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of those students who gained GCSEs in dual science in each year since 1997 were educated in (a) the state sector and (b) the independent sector, broken down by grade; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be found in the following tables:
	
		Table 1: Percentage of 15-year-old pupils(92) achieving each grade in GCSE Double Award Science educated in independent sector
		
			  A* A B C D E F G U(93) X(94) Total 
		
		
			 1997 15.8 12.0 8.3 3.3 1.3 0.6 0.3 0.2 0.4 0.3 4.0 
			 1998 16.6 12.2 8.2 3.8 1.4 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.3 1.0 4.0 
			 1999 17.0 11.4 8.1 3.6 1.3 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.3 1.0 3.8 
			 2000 17.1 11.4 8.1 3.7 1.4 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.8 3.9 
			 2001 16.9 11.7 8.3 3.6 1.4 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.9 4.0 
			 2002 17.2 12.1 8.4 3.8 1.5 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.4 1.5 4.2 
			 2003 17.9 11.5 8.2 3.7 1.6 0.5 0.2 0.1 0.3 1.4 4.1 
			 2004 20.6 13.2 8.7 4.1 1.5 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.9 4.7 
			 2005(95) 21.3 14.2 9.0 4.1 1.4 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.4 1.3 5.1 
		
	
	
		Table 2: Percentage of 15-year-old pupils(92) achieving each grade in GCSE Double Award Science educated in maintained sector
		
			  A* A B C D E F G U(93) X(94) Total 
		
		
			 1997 84.2 88.0 91.7 96.7 98.7 99.4 99.7 99.8 99.6 99.7 96.0 
			 1998 83.4 87.8 91.8 96.2 98.6 99.5 99.8 99.9 99.7 99.0 96.0 
			 1999 83.0 88.6 91.9 96.4 98.7 99.6 99.8 99.9 99.7 99.0 96.2 
			 2000 82.9 88.6 91.9 96.3 98.6 99.6 99.8 99.9 99.7 99.2 96.1 
			 2001 83.1 88.3 91.7 96.4 98.6 99.5 99.8 99.8 99.7 99.1 96.0 
			 2002 82.8 87.9 91.6 96.2 98.5 99.5 99.8 99.9 99.6 98.5 95.8 
			 2003 82.1 88.5 91.8 96.3 98.4 99.5 99.8 99.9 99.7 98.6 95.9 
			 2004 79.4 86.8 91.3 95.9 98.5 99.4 99.7 99.7 99.7 99.1 95.3 
			 2005(95) 78.7 85.8 91.0 95.9 98.6 99.4 99.8 99.8 99.6 98.7 94.9 
		
	
	(92) Age at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).
	(93) Grade U refers to pupils who are ungraded or unclassified.
	(94) Grade X refers to pupils who were absent or results pending.
	(95) Figures for 2005 are provisional. All other figures are final.

Science

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of those students who gained (a) a GCSE, (b) an A level and (c) an AS level in (i) biology or human biology, (ii) chemistry and (iii) physics in each year since 1997 were educated in (A) the state sector and (B) the independent sector, broken down by by grade; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be found in the following tables:
	
		(a) A level science results: Percentage of 16–18 year-old(96) students achieving each grade in science A levels educated in independent sector
		
			 Percentage 
			  A B C D E Other(98) A-E passes Total 
		
		
			 Biological Sciences 
			 1997 38.5 25.3 17.1 12.5 9.9 7.5 20.4 18.7 
			 1998 37.9 24.9 17.6 12.5 9.8 6.8 20.7 18.9 
			 1999 37.8 24.6 17.3 12.6 9.0 6.7 20.7 19.0 
			 2000 36.4 23.2 16.9 13.1 10.5 6.7 20.4 18.9 
			 2001 36.2 24.1 17.2 12.5 9.8 7.2 20.7 19.3 
			 2002 36.5 23.8 16.5 11.1 8.1 5.6 20.4 19.2 
			 2003 36.2 23.4 15.8 11.3 8.3 5.2 20.3 19.3 
			 2004 36.5 24.3 15.9 11.6 8.3 6.0 20.9 20.1 
			 2005(97) 35.3 22.1 14.9 9.7 6.8 4.6 19.5 18.7 
			 Chemistry 
			 1997 42.2 28.9 19.5 16.5 13.1 9.4 25.9 23.9 
			 1998 41.8 28.0 20.1 15.6 12.5 9.6 26.0 24.2 
			 1999 40.8 27.2 20.8 16.3 12.6 10.6 26.1 24.7 
			 2000 39.5 26.8 20.0 15.8 12.6 9.2 25.6 24.1 
			 2001 39.2 27.1 20.0 15.7 12.4 11.9 25.7 24.6 
			 2002 39.8 27.0 19.3 13.6 9.9 6.9 25.4 24.5 
			 2003 40.8 26.4 19.1 13.9 9.3 7.3 25.8 25.1 
			 2004 40.5 26.5 19.0 13.4 10.4 8.4 26.1 25.5 
			 2005(97) 38.8 24.7 18.0 13.0 9.9 8.2 24.7 24.1 
			 Physics 
			 1997 38.4 26.4 19.6 15.2 11.6 10.0 24.0 22.4 
			 1998 38.8 25.7 19.2 14.8 12.2 8.6 24.1 22.4 
			 1999 37.6 25.6 20.1 14.6 11.7 11.2 24.1 22.8 
			 2000 37.0 26.3 20.2 15.3 12.3 9.7 24.4 22.9 
			 2001 37.4 26.5 20.1 15.3 12.3 9.4 24.6 23.0 
			 2002 36.3 25.1 17.9 14.4 9.8 8.3 23.2 22.2 
			 2003 38.4 25.6 19.0 13.5 11.5 8.2 24.2 23.4 
			 2004 38.8 26.2 20.1 15.2 11.5 9.1 25.3 24.5 
			 2005(97) 37.2 25.6 17.6 13.2 8.7 7.8 23.5 22.7 
		
	
	
		Percentage of 16–18 year-old(96) students achieving each grade in science A levels educated in maintained sector
		
			 Percentage 
			  A B C D E Other(98) A-E passes Total 
		
		
			 Biological sciences 
			 1997 61.5 74.6 82.9 87.5 90.1 92.5 79.5 81.3 
			 1998 62.1 75.1 82.4 87.5 90.2 93.2 79.3 81.1 
			 1999 62.2 75.4 82.7 87.4 91.0 93.3 79.3 81.0 
			 2000 63.6 76.8 83.1 86.9 89.5 93.3 79.6 81.1 
			 2001 63.8 75.9 82.8 87.5 90.2 92.8 79.3 80.7 
			 2002 63.5 76.2 83.5 88.9 91.9 94.4 79.6 80.8 
			 2003 63.8 76.6 84.2 88.7 91.7 94.8 79.7 80.7 
			 2004 63.5 75.7 84.1 88.4 91.7 94.0 79.1 79.9 
			 2005(97) 64.7 77.9 85.1 90.3 93.2 95.4 80.5 81.3 
			 Chemistry 
			 1997 57.7 71.0 80.5 83.4 86.8 90.5 74.0 76.0 
			 1998 58.2 72.0 79.9 84.4 87.5 90.4 74.0 75.8 
			 1999 59.2 72.8 79.2 83.7 87.4 89.4 73.9 75.3 
			 2000 60.5 73.2 80.0 84.2 87.4 90.8 74.4 75.9 
			 2001 60.8 72.9 80.0 84.3 87.6 88.1 74.3 75.4 
			 2002 60.2 73.0 80.7 86.4 90.1 93.1 74.6 75.5 
			 2003 59.2 73.6 80.9 86.1 90.7 92.7 74.2 74.9 
			 2004 59.5 73.5 81.0 86.6 89.6 91.6 73.9 74.5 
			 2005(97) 61.2 75.3 82.0 87.0 90.1 91.8 75.3 75.9 
			 Physics 
			 1997 61.3 73.3 80.0 84.6 88.2 90.0 75.7 77.3 
			 1998 61.2 74.3 80.8 85.2 87.8 91.4 75.9 77.6 
			 1999 62.4 74.4 79.9 85.4 88.3 88.8 75.9 77.2 
			 2000 63.0 73.7 79.8 84.7 87.7 90.3 75.6 77.1 
			 2001 62.6 73.5 79.9 84.7 87.7 90.6 75.4 77.0 
			 2002 63.7 74.9 82.1 85.6 90.2 91.7 76.8 77.8 
			 2003 61.6 74.4 81.0 86.5 88.5 91.8 75.8 76.6 
			 2004 61.2 73.8 79.9 84.8 88.5 90.9 74.7 75.5 
			 2005(97) 62.8 74.4 82.4 86.8 91.3 92.2 76.5 77.3 
		
	
	
		(b) AS level examination results: Percentage of 16–18 year-old(96) students achieving each grade in science AS levels educated in independent sector
		
			 Percentage 
			  A B C D E Other(98) A-E passes Total 
		
		
			 Biological sciences 
			 2001 26.2 16.7 11.7 7.7 6.2 3.6 14.0 12.3 
			 2002 27.2 17.2 13.0 9.1 6.3 2.9 14.9 12.6 
			 2003 27.7 18.2 12.6 9.5 6.9 3.2 14.7 12.3 
			 2004 26.8 18.3 12.3 8.6 6.6 3.3 14.2 12.1 
			 2005(97) 26.6 16.5 11.0 8.2 6.1 3.2 13.3 11.3 
			 Chemistry 
			 2001 30.4 19.2 13.8 8.7 7.0 3.9 17.5 15.6 
			 2002 33.3 22.1 16.5 11.5 8.3 4.9 19.5 17.3 
			 2003 32.8 20.9 15.9 12.2 8.8 4.5 19.0 16.6 
			 2004 31.8 19.8 15.1 11.6 8.0 4.3 17.9 15.6 
			 2005(97) 29.4 19.8 13.5 10.6 7.6 4.1 16.7 14.6 
			 Physics 
			 2001 28.6 18.7 13.6 11.2 7.6 6.0 17.3 15.7 
			 2002 33.0 21.4 17.5 12.8 9.5 5.4 20.2 17.6 
			 2003 31.6 21.8 18.1 12.6 10.0 5.3 19.7 17.1 
			 2004 30.9 21.1 15.8 12.3 9.1 4.7 18.7 16.2 
			 2005(97) 31.2 21.0 15.6 12.1 9.4 5.0 18.6 16.2 
		
	
	
		Percentage of 16–18 year-old(96) students achieving each grade in science AS levels educated in maintained sector
		
			 Percentage 
			  A B C D E Other(98) A-E Passes Total 
		
		
			 Biological sciences 
			 2001 73.8 83.3 88.3 92.3 93.8 96.4 86.0 87.7 
			 2002 72.8 82.8 87.0 90.9 93.7 97.1 85.1 87.4 
			 2003 72.3 81.8 87.4 90.5 93.1 96.8 85.3 87.7 
			 2004 73.2 81.7 87.7 91.4 93.4 96.7 85.8 87.9 
			 2005(97) 73.4 83.5 89.0 91.8 93.9 96.8 86.7 88.7 
			 Chemistry 
			 2001 69.6 80.8 86.2 91.3 93.0 96.1 82.5 84.4 
			 2002 66.7 77.9 83.5 88.5 91.7 95.1 80.5 82.7 
			 2003 67.2 79.1 84.1 87.8 91.2 95.5 81.0 83.4 
			 2004 68.2 80.2 84.9 88.4 92.0 95.7 82.1 84.4 
			 2005(97) 70.6 80.2 86.5 89.4 92.4 95.9 83.3 85.4 
			 Physics 
			 2001 71.4 81.3 86.4 88.8 92.4 94.0 82.7 84.3 
			 2002 67.0 78.6 82.5 87.2 90.5 94.6 79.8 82.4 
			 2003 68.4 78.2 81.9 87.4 90.0 94.7 80.3 82.9 
			 2004 69.1 78.9 84.2 87.7 90.9 95.3 81.3 83.8 
			 2005(97) 68.8 79.0 84.4 87.9 90.6 95.0 81.4 83.8 
		
	
	
		(c) GCSE examination results: Percentage of 15 year-old pupils(96) achieving each grade in GCSE science educated in independent sector
		
			 Percentage 
			  A* A B C D E F G U(99) X(100) Total 
		
		
			 Biological sciences
			 1997 65.8 55.3 45.2 38.5 36.5 33.4 28.0 13.7 32.4 31.5 47.8 
			 1998 63.9 52.1 42.2 35.8 33.2 24.5 22.9 20.8 21.9 55.2 45.0 
			 1999 61.3 49.8 39.8 33.1 29.2 24.6 19.7 13.6 20.8 26.5 42.9 
			 2000 60.5 48.4 37.3 29.6 28.8 26.2 19.1 8.0 8.6 22.2 41.0 
			 2001 59.8 47.0 36.2 29.1 27.4 26.1 18.9 11.7 18.4 18.6 40.5 
			 2002 59.3 44.8 33.9 28.2 25.3 22.6 11.6 1.9 16.8 24.6 39.1 
			 2003 56.5 42.5 32.6 25.4 21.6 18.3 10.1 1.3 9.1 21.4 36.4 
			 2004 55.8 39.2 26.4 22.4 18.1 16.6 9.0 4.4 12.3 20.0 33.6 
			 2005(97) 51.3 36.9 24.2 20.7 18.3 14.9 5.6 3.5 9.1 13.2 31.1 
			 Chemistry
			 1997 68.1 56.6 44.7 35.6 25.5 19.1 13.1 3.2 22.5 23.5 46.8 
			 1998 67.3 53.0 39.8 31.9 21.2 12.5 10.6 8.1 19.3 46.7 43.9 
			 1999 63.8 51.0 39.4 28.9 19.9 14.1 7.9 3.1 14.1 41.7 42.3 
			 2000 62.7 49.7 36.7 26.4 18.4 12.6 8.8 4.1 20.4 27.3 40.6 
			 2001 63.3 48.4 35.8 25.2 19.9 12.0 12.2 4.8 14.0 27.0 40.1 
			 2002 62.7 47.3 34.0 23.9 17.3 10.4 10.4 5.5 13.3 33.3 39.0 
			 2003 56.9 45.9 32.0 21.5 15.7 9.9 7.7 4.1 14.4 31.0 36.3 
			 2004 55.5 40.5 26.0 19.9 14.0 12.4 7.9 6.7 6.5 58.3 33.5 
			 2005(97) 51.5 37.8 23.7 17.8 11.9 12.1 6.2 2.1 10.6 21.7 31.0 
			 Physics
			 1997 64.7 54.2 44.4 36.7 27.5 24.3 17.7 9.8 22.6 26.8 46.3 
			 1998 62.1 51.6 41.4 33.2 22.8 14.1 12.6 11.9 19.3 40.0 43.7 
			 1999 59.3 48.3 40.4 29.3 22.4 16.3 11.5 11.8 20.5 25.0 41.9 
			 2000 58.7 47.1 36.9 28.0 23.2 15.1 8.0 7.8 19.1 45.0 40.3 
			 2001 59.9 46.6 36.7 26.3 21.7 16.7 9.4 9.6 16.1 45.5 39.9 
			 2002 58.2 45.1 35.3 24.1 19.5 14.0 7.4 9.0 15.8 40.4 38.5 
			 2003 56.0 42.6 32.5 22.7 17.7 13.2 7.3 14.0 15.8 54.3 36.2 
			 2004 55.7 38.0 26.4 20.0 15.0 11.4 9.4 7.0 13.8 38.9 33.3 
			 2005(97) 51.0 35.9 23.8 18.5 13.8 12.0 6.2 4.5 8.7 15.0 30.9 
		
	
	
		Percentage of 15 year-old pupils(96) achieving each grade in GCSE science educated in maintained sector
		
			 Percentage 
			  A* A B C D E F G U(99) X(100) Total 
		
		
			 Biological sciences
			 1997 34.2 44.7 54.8 61.5 63.5 66.6 72.0 86.3 67.6 68.5 52.2 
			 1998 36.1 47.9 57.8 64.2 66.8 75.5 77.1 79.2 78.1 44.8 55.0 
			 1999 38.7 50.2 60.2 66.9 70.8 75.4 80.3 86.4 79.2 73.5 57.1 
			 2000 39.5 51.6 62.7 70.4 71.2 73.8 80.9 92.0 91.4 77.8 59.0 
			 2001 40.2 53.0 63.8 70.9 72.6 73.9 81.1 88.3 81.6 81.4 59.5 
			 2002 40.7 55.2 66.1 71.8 74.7 77.4 88.4 98.1 83.2 75.4 60.9 
			 2003 43.5 57.5 67.4 74.6 78.4 81.7 89.9 98.7 90.9 78.6 63.6 
			 2004 44.2 60.8 73.6 77.6 81.9 83.4 91.0 95.6 87.7 80.0 66.4 
			 2005(97) 48.7 63.1 75.8 79.3 81.7 85.1 94.4 96.5 90.9 86.8 68.9 
			 Chemistry
			 1997 31.9 43.4 55.3 64.4 74.5 80.9 86.9 96.8 77.5 76.5 53.2 
			 1998 32.7 47.0 60.2 68.1 78.8 87.5 89.4 91.9 80.7 53.3 56.1 
			 1999 36.2 49.0 60.6 71.1 80.1 85.9 92.1 96.9 85.9 58.3 57.7 
			 2000 37.3 50.3 63.3 73.6 81.6 87.4 91.2 95.9 79.6 72.7 59.4 
			 2001 36.7 51.6 64.2 74.8 80.1 88.0 87.8 95.2 86.0 73.0 59.9 
			 2002 37.3 52.7 66.0 76.1 82.7 89.6 89.6 94.5 86.7 66.7 61.0 
			 2003 43.1 54.1 68.0 78.5 84.3 90.1 92.3 95.9 85.6 69.0 63.7 
			 2004 44.5 59.5 74.0 80.1 86.0 87.6 92.1 93.3 93.5 41.7 66.5 
			 2005(97) 48.5 62.2 76.3 82.2 88.1 87.9 93.8 97.9 89.4 78.3 69.0 
			 Physics
			 1997 35.3 45.8 55.6 63.3 72.5 75.7 82.3 90.2 77.4 73.2 53.7 
			 1998 37.9 48.4 58.6 66.8 77.2 85.9 87.4 88.1 80.7 60.0 56.3 
			 1999 40.7 51.7 59.6 70.7 77.6 83.7 88.5 88.2 79.5 75.0 58.1 
			 2000 41.3 52.9 63.1 72.0 76.8 84.9 92.0 92.2 80.9 55.0 59.7 
			 2001 40.1 53.4 63.3 73.7 78.3 83.3 90.6 90.4 83.9 54.5 60.1 
			 2002 41.8 54.9 64.7 75.9 80.5 86.0 92.6 91.0 84.2 59.6 61.5 
			 2003 44.0 57.4 67.5 77.3 82.3 86.8 92.7 86.0 84.2 45.7 63.8 
			 2004 44.3 62.0 73.6 80.0 85.0 88.6 90.6 93.0 86.2 61.1 66.7 
			 2005(97) 49.0 64.1 76.2 81.5 86.2 88.0 93.8 95.5 91.3 85.0 69.1 
		
	
	(96) Age at the beginning of the academic year (i.e. 31 August).
	(97) Figures for 2005 are provisional. All other figures are final.
	(98) Includes ungraded, no award (absent/declined) and pending.
	(99) Grade U refers to pupils who are ungraded or unclassified.
	(100) Grade X refers to pupils who were absent or results pending.

Science Curriculum

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether Twenty-First Century Science and Science for the Citizen will maintain the breadth and depth of the existing curriculum; and what the syllabus is for the two qualifications.

Jacqui Smith: The new Science GCSEs, which incorporate the statutory programme of study for Key Stage 4, will maintain the breadth, depth and challenge of the current Science GCSEs.

Selective Grammar Schools

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether she plans to amend the legislation governing (a) the admissions arrangements and (b) the curriculum of the remaining selective grammar schools in England; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 31 October 2005
	Under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998, it is for local parents to decide whether their local grammar schools should continue to select on the basis of academic ability. Selective schools are required to teach the full National Curriculum; like other maintained schools. We have no plans to legislate to change this.

Specialist Schools and Academies Trust

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many people were employed by the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and its predecessor bodies in each year since 1996 (a) in total and (b) broken down by directorate;
	(2)  what remuneration was received by (a) the chairman, (b) the chief executive and (c) the directors of the component directorates of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and its predecessor bodies in each year since 1996;
	(3)  how trustees of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust are appointed; and what (a) remuneration and (b) expenses are received by members of the Trustee Council of the Specialist Schools Trust;
	(4)  what representations her Department has received on the Trust Council of the Specialist Schools Trust;
	(5)  what the annual turnover was of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and its predecessor bodies in each year since 1996;
	(6)  what the grant in aid was to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and its predecessor bodies in each year since 1996;
	(7)  what costs were incurred in the renaming of the Specialist Schools Trust as the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.

Jacqui Smith: The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT), and its predecessor bodies, is a charitable company limited by guarantee. Although the Department for Education and Skills grant funds the trust to carry out work on its behalf, SSAT also receives income from other sources.
	Grant in aid to the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust and its predecessor bodies for each of the full financial years requested is as follows:
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1996–97 711 
			 1997–98 677 
			 1998–99 786 
			 1999–2000 1,104 
			 2000–01 1,487 
			 2001–02 2,395 
			 2002–03 4,454 
			 2003–04 10,976 
			 2004–05 18,444 
		
	
	The Department has no official representation on the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Council. In respect of the renaming of the trust, the cost of the transition is a matter for SSAT. My officials are discussing with SSAT what grant the Department might give to SSAT to support the transition and ongoing academies work.
	The other questions asked are matters for the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. As a charitable trust and limited company SSAT publishes accounts which will have answers to some of the questions.

Summer Schools

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which organisations have expressed an interest in sponsoring the non-residential summer schools for gifted and talented pupils.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 1 November 2005
	This proposal in the White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All" is in an early stage of development. We have not yet invited expressions of interest in sponsoring non-residential summer schools for gifted and talented pupils. We shall announce further details in due course.

Truancy

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will increase the budget available to combat truancy from secondary schools.

Jacqui Smith: Schools and local authorities have considerable resources available to them: since 1997/98, funding per pupil has increased in real terms by 36 per cent. The Department's strategy to improve school attendance is proving successful: absences from school have fallen for four consecutive years to record low levels. There are 50,000 more pupils in school each day than would be the case if absence rates were still at 2000/01 levels. Tackling truancy, particularly persistent truancy, requires carefully focused work by schools working in partnership with their local authorities and other agencies, as set out in Every Child Matters" and Youth Matters".
	In 2005/06, 450 secondary schools are receiving additional funding for measures to improve pupils' behaviour and attendance through the Behaviour Improvement Programme. In addition, we continue to support work in all parts of the country to improve attendance through funding for behaviour and attendance consultants in every local authority and the provision of expert advisers within the national strategies.

Trust Schools

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to ensure that the poorest pupils are not disadvantaged by the proposals for trust schools.

Jacqui Smith: The Schools Commissioner will encourage potential Trusts to focus their interest on weaker schools and schools in disadvantaged areas which are in greatest need of support. Trust schools, like all maintained schools, are required to comply with the law on admissions and to have regard both to the School Admissions Code of Practice and to their Admission Forum's advice. They must participate in co-ordinated admission arrangements and may be subject to investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman if parents complain of either maladministration or of unfair treatment.

Trust Schools

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria independent groups will need to meet to open the proposed trust schools.

Jacqui Smith: The promoters of new trust schools will need to consult on their plans and publish statutory proposals. Those proposals will set out the characteristics of the school, including the proposed admission arrangements, and details of the trust itself. In future local authorities will decide proposals for new schools, including trust schools, having regard to guidance from the Secretary of State. In deciding proposals for a new school the local authority would take into account a range of factors including, for example, parental demand and the contribution that the school would make to raising standards, increasing diversity and improving community cohesion.
	Where the governing body of an existing school proposes to acquire a trust, it will consult and publish statutory proposals, setting out details of the proposed trust and the rationale for acquiring it. It will normally be for individual governing bodies to decide such proposals, but where the governing body has failed to take proper account of the views of a majority of parents or there are serious concerns about the impact of the acquisition of the trust on school standards, the local authority may refer the proposals to the schools adjudicator whose decision on them will be final.

Vocational Qualifications

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many hours per year her Department recommends is spent teaching pupils for a (a) GCSE course and (b) General National Vocational Qualification course.

Jacqui Smith: The Department make no recommendations on how many hours per year be spent teaching pupils for either a GCSE or General National Vocational Qualification course.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Perverting the Course of Justice

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals have been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of recorded crime offences relating to perverting the course of justice that were cleared via a sanction detection in 1999–2000 to 2004–05.
	It should be noted that crime clearance figures are counted on the basis of crimes rather than offenders.
	
		Offences relating to perverting the course of justice cleared by means of a sanction detection 1999–2000 to- 2004–05(101)
		
			  Charge or summons Caution(102) Taken into consideration Sanction detections 
		
		
			 1999–2000 10 0 0 10 
			 2000–01 12 1 0 13 
			 2001–02 10 0 0 10 
			 2002–03 11 0 0 11 
			 2003–04 13 1 0 14 
			 2004–05 8 0 0 8 
		
	
	(101) Offences relating to perverting the course of justice are: perverting the course of justice; attempting to pervert the course of justice; conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; and doing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice.
	(102) Prior to September 2003, includes juvenile advice and warning. Since September 2003, includes juvenile informed warning and restorative caution.
	Source:
	PSNI Recorded Crime Statistics

Perverting the Course of Justice

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals have been prosecuted in Northern Ireland with attempting to pervert the course of justice in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The following table shows the number of persons prosecuted and convicted in each of the calendar years 1999 to 2003, for offences relating to perverting the course of justice. Data for 2004 are not yet available.
	Conviction statistics are offender based. Where a person is being dealt with for more than one offence at the same court sitting, only the most serious offence (that attracting the most severe court penalty) is included in the statistics.
	
		Number of persons prosecuted and convicted for offences relating to perverting the cause of justice: 1999 to 2003
		
			  Prosecuted Convicted 
		
		
			 1999 6 2 
			 2000 19 15 
			 2001 2 1 
			 2002 12 7 
			 2003 4 3 
		
	
	Note:
	1. Offences relating to perverting the course of justice are: perverting the course of justice; attempting to pervert the course of justice; conspiracy to pervert the course of justice; and doing an act with intent to pervert the course of justice.
	Source:
	NIO

On the Run"

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many alleged Republican offenders are known to be on the run from UK security forces.

Peter Hain: I have asked the Police Service of Northern Ireland to conduct a review of outstanding warrants, and I will write to the hon. Gentleman when this review is complete.

Accident and Emergency Staff

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of staff at accident and emergency departments of hospitals in Northern Ireland have suffered injuries as a result of attacks upon them by members of the public as they carried out their duties in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 20 October 2005, Official Report, column 1229W. The level of detail now requested is not recorded centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

A-Levels

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of students attending (a) grammar schools and (b) secondary level schools in Northern Ireland obtained pass marks at A level in the latest period for which figures are available.

Angela Smith: The information for the 2003–04 academic year is as follows:
	
		
			  Type of school 
			  Grammar Non-grammar All secondary level schools 
		
		
			 Percentage of pupils in Year 14(103) achieving 1 or more A levels(104) at grades A-E 98 59 86 
			 Percentage of pupils entered for at least one A level achieving 1 or more A levels(104) at grades A-E 100 96 99 
		
	
	(103) Irrespective of whether they were entered for any GCE A level examinations.
	(104) GCE A level only, not equivalent qualifications such as AVCEs.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in each constituency in the Province; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Five interim antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) on application have been granted in Northern Ireland to date; one in the Belfast city council area, two in the Larne borough council area, and two in the Coleraine borough council area. Data are not collected by parliamentary constituency.
	Information on ASBOs by conviction is not collected centrally and would only be available at disproportionate cost. It is intended that this information will be captured by the Northern Ireland Court Service through their Integrated Court Operation System (ICOS) which is due to be rolled out from early next year.
	ASBOs are a useful tool for tackling antisocial behaviour and are available to the PSNI, District Councils and Northern Ireland Housing Executive as part of a structured approach to tackling antisocial behaviour which may also include the use of mediation, warnings and acceptable behaviour contracts.

Aphis Database

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many male calves, with dairy sires born in Northern Ireland in the past 12 months, were registered on the APHIS database.

Angela Smith: APHIS does not routinely hold sire breed data and I am therefore unable to answer the question in the format requested. However, I can tell the hon. Member that 64,953 male calves were registered as dairy breeds on APHIS during the 12 months ending 30 September 2005. This figure includes bull calves. The breeds included are Ayrshire, Holstein, Jersey, Friesian, Guernsey and Dairy Shorthorn.

Avian Influenza

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the occasions on which the contingency arrangements for avian influenza have been exercised in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: DARD has an avian influenza (AI) contingency plan which is available for use in the event of an outbreak. This contingency plan takes account of experiences of dealing with the foot and mouth disease outbreak in 2001. DARD is committed to delivering an ongoing cycle of simulation and desktop exercises as part of epizootic disease preparedness. In June 2004, the Department tested the efficacy of its generic epizootic disease contingency plan for epizootic disease (CPED), on which the AI plan is based. In addition, over the past months DARD has tested several aspects of its avian influenza plan. In December 2004, an operational partners seminar was held to discuss the AI plan with partner organisations and stakeholder representative bodies. In June 2005, an exercise was carried out over two days to test the adequacy of Health and Safety guidance and the health services procedures to be used in the event of an outbreak. A desktop exercise was also carried out in conjunction to test the emergency procurement arrangements set out in call-off contracts. Tests were also carried out on 15 March 2005 and on 20 September 2005 on humane slaughter techniques. This involved a broiler flock and caged layer flock respectively. In October 2005, an exercise was carried out to test communication arrangements and how the command structures operate. The plan is subject to an ongoing process of review and updating.

Avian Influenza

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what mechanisms are in place in Northern Ireland to prevent an outbreak of avian influenza.

Angela Smith: The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development keeps the threat posed by the spread of avian influenza (AI) under constant review and initiates protective measures deemed necessary to prevent its introduction as appropriate.
	In line with European Union-wide measures, actions taken to date have included banning the importation of live birds and products from avian influenza affected areas. Other Decisions of the European Union (EU) Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health aimed at taking further preventative measures to limit the potential spread of the disease will be acted upon as required.
	The Department has recently re-issued advice to the poultry industry regarding biosecurity measures to be observed to limit the risk of disease entering Northern Ireland and stopping its spread should it be introduced. The Department also provides information and guidance through its website to stakeholders and is engaged in a series of discussions with key industry representative bodies on an ongoing basis to ensure that there is a regular exchange on the developing situation.
	For the third successive year, an AI survey is being carried out this autumn on certain types of poultry. Wild bird surveillance is also being undertaken, with the support of the Environment and Heritage Service and other non-government organisations.
	There is close co-operation between relevant Departments to ensure a joined-up approach to the threat of AI including in respect of the implications for public health. Officials are also working closely with their counterparts from the Department of Agriculture and Food in the Republic of Ireland in relation to AI, which is of mutual interest in the context of the island of Ireland.
	The Department has a contingency plan in place, which has been approved by the EU, to ensure that any outbreak of AI is dealt with quickly and effectively. This plan is continually being reviewed and updated, and has been tested on two occasions in recent weeks.

Bombs (South Belfast)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the two bombs that were recently made safe in South Belfast.

Shaun Woodward: On 16 October 2005 the Samaritans and BBC Northern Ireland were contacted and given a bomb warning. A coded message warned of a mortar type device intended for a prestigious target having been abandoned at the junction of Malone Road and Newforge Lane, Belfast in South Belfast. This was immediately passed to police.
	A planned search resulted in the find of one suspicious object that was declared a viable Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and which was made safe by army technical officers.
	During a daylight follow up operation search conducted on 17 October 2005, police found a second device in undergrowth approximately one metre from the site of the first device. This was subsequently declared a viable device of similar construction to the first and as such was made safe. Both devices await forensic examination.
	On 19 October 2005 the Irish News was contacted with a further statement regarding the devices at Newforge Lane, Belfast. The caller claimed responsibility on behalf of Continuity IRA and stated that the alleged target of the attack had been a senior police officer.
	PSNI Serious Crime Branch is conducting an investigation into the devices. Inquiries to date have not identified a specific target against whom these devices were intended to be used.

Breast Cancer

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the target waiting time is in Northern Ireland for patients' first appointment with a specialist after an urgent referral by their general practitioner for suspected breast cancer.

Shaun Woodward: In Northern Ireland, patients with suspected breast cancer are expected to be assessed by a specialist within two weeks of urgent referral by their GP. This two-week target for breast cancer patients was introduced in August 2000.

Conviction Rates

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2005, Official Report, columns 1219–20W, how many of the arrests in each district command unit area resulted in a conviction.

Peter Hain: The Chief Constable has advised me that the Police Service of Northern Ireland do not collect information on the number of arrests from CCTV cameras which result in a conviction. North Belfast District Command Unit, for internal management reasons, has collected data for North Belfast. This information was given in the answer of 20 October 2005, Official Report, columns 1219–20W.

Departmental Refurbishment

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what action is being taken to ensure that refurbishment projects in his Department will procure timber from legal and sustainable sources; and whether guidance will be issued to contractors on each project concerning such procurement;
	(2)  whether his Department's procurement policy includes reference to sustainable grown timber used in the construction of departmental building projects; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what plans his Department has to fund the maintenance of the central point of expertise on timber.

Peter Hain: For departmental refurbishment and building contracts in the NIO a standard timber procurement clause is applied which requires that:
	timber (including timber for wood based products) be obtained from well managed forests and/or plantations in accordance with;
	the laws governing forest management in the producer country or countries and
	international agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES).
	Documentary evidence (which has been or can be independently verified) regarding the provenance of all timber supplied and evidence that suppliers have adopted and are implementing a formal environmental purchasing policy for timber and wood based products must also be provided.
	The Department has no plans to fund the central point of expertise on timber.
	This answer only applies to the Northern Ireland Office and not to the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Departmental Staff (Annual Leave)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average annual leave entitlement of staff in his Department was in each of the last three years.

Shaun Woodward: The leave entitlement for staff in the Northern Ireland Office is set out in the Northern Ireland civil service and Home civil service staff handbooks. Leave entitlement is directly related to grade and length of service. The following table sets out the annual leave entitlement of staff. This has remained unchanged over the last three years.
	
		
			 Grades Length of service Annual leave entitlement (days) 
		
		
			 Senior civil servants On entry 30 
			
			 Bl-A On entry 25 
			  After 10 years 30 
			
			 B2 On entry 22 
			  After one year 25 
			  After 15 years 30 
			
			 D2-C On entry 22 
			  After one year 25 
			  After 20 years 30

Discharged Patients (Deaths)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people died within seven days of their discharge from general acute in-patient or day care in each Northern Ireland health board area since 1995.

Shaun Woodward: Information is not available.

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school children there are with dyslexia or dyspraxia in each (i) constituency and (ii) council district in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		Pupils suffering from dyslexia in schools in Northern Ireland 2004–05 by parliamentary constituency
		
			  Pupils with dyslexia 
			 Parliamentary constituency Primary Post primary 
		
		
			 Belfast East 67 198 
			 Belfast North 72 72 
			 Belfast South 102 197 
			 Belfast West 115 53 
			 East Antrim 46 43 
			 East Londonderry 71 30 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 113 167 
			 Foyle 203 431 
			 Lagan Valley 65 55 
			 Mid Ulster 74 82 
			 Newry and Armagh 55 59 
			 North Antrim 37 26 
			 North Down 93 76 
			 South Antrim 88 77 
			 South Down 145 161 
			 Strangford 78 89 
			 Upper Bann 115 71 
			 West Tyrone 132 137 
			 Northern Ireland total 1,671 2,024 
		
	
	
		Pupils suffering from dyspraxia in schools in Northern Ireland 2004–05 by parliamentary constituency
		
			  Pupils with dyspraxia 
			 Parliamentary constituency Primary Post primary 
		
		
			 Belfast East 9 28 
			 Belfast North 9 10 
			 Belfast South 19 12 
			 Belfast West 9 3 
			 East Antrim 12 4 
			 East Londonderry 4 3 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 10 12 
			 Foyle 16 18 
			 Lagan Valley 5 1 
			 Mid Ulster 16 11 
			 Newry and Armagh 7 7 
			 North Antrim 6 3 
			 North Down 5 7 
			 South Antrim 12 6 
			 South Down 18 10 
			 Strangford 7 8 
			 Upper Bann 14 7 
			 West Tyrone 6 7 
			 Northern Ireland total 184 157 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Primary figures relate to pupils in year 1 to year 7 only.
	2. Figures relate to the area in which schools attended by pupils are located.
	
		Pupils suffering from dyslexia in schools in Northern Ireland 2004–05 by district council
		
			  Pupils with dyslexia 
			 District council area Primary Post primary 
		
		
			 Antrim 16 5 
			 Ards 49 87 
			 Armagh 34 13 
			 Ballymena 18 15 
			 Ballymoney 13 1 
			 Banbridge 65 36 
			 Belfast 282 333 
			 Carrickfergus 14 6 
			 Castlereagh 93 190 
			 Coleraine 13 6 
			 Cookstown 37 38 
			 Craigavon 60 44 
			 Derry 203 431 
			 Down 118 137 
			 Dungannon 36 85 
			 Fermanagh 87 85 
			 Larne 24 25 
			 Limavady 58 24 
			 Lisburn 64 51 
			 Magherafelt 27 41 
			 Moyle 6 10 
			 Newry and Mourne 52 67 
			 Newtownabbey 81 84 
			 North Down 89 73 
			 Omagh 79 99 
			 Strabane 53 38 
			 Northern Ireland total 1,671 2,024 
		
	
	
		Pupils suffering from dyspraxia in schools in Northern Ireland 2004–05 by district council
		
			  Pupils with dyspraxia 
			 District council area Primary Post primary 
		
		
			 Antrim 5 0 
			 Ards 5 7 
			 Armagh 2 0 
			 Ballymena 4 1 
			 Ballymoney 1 0 
			 Banbridge 7 5 
			 Belfast 36 37 
			 Carrickfergus 6 2 
			 Castlereagh 11 17 
			 Coleraine 2 2 
			 Cookstown 9 1 
			 Craigavon 10 2 
			 Derry 16 18 
			 Down 12 6 
			 Dungannon 4 10 
			 Fermanagh 7 2 
			 Larne 6 2 
			 Limavady 2 1 
			 Lisburn 3 1 
			 Magherafelt 6 10 
			 Moyle 1 2 
			 Newry and Mourne 11 11 
			 Newtownabbey 7 6 
			 North Down 5 7 
			 Omagh 3 3 
			 Strabane 3 4 
			 Northern Ireland total 184 157 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Primary figures relate to pupils in year 1 to year 7 only.
	2. Figures relate to the area in which schools attended by pupils are located.

Education

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to improve parental involvement in education in Northern Ireland.

Angela Smith: There is significant parental involvement in schools in Northern Ireland through involvement with Boards of Governors of schools and on an individual basis parents are encouraged to take an active interest in their child's education, and recent legislation provides increased rights and avenues for parental involvement.
	New regulations on School Development Plans require the extent to which the Board of Governors has consulted with parents in the preparation of the school development plan must be included in the plan.
	In the area of pupil services the Department has made funding available to the Education and Library Boards to support work with parents. One Board is employing a Parent Support Officer and two Boards are piloting a home/school/community project.
	The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (SENDO) provides parents with increased rights to have their children with special educational needs educated in mainstream schools, where that is their wish. The new Advice and Information Service and the Dispute Avoidance and Resolution Service provided by Educational and Library Boards for parents of children with Special Educational Needs (SEN), will provide parents with more SEN related information and a voluntary, informal and independent means of resolving disputes between parents and schools and/or Boards.
	The Department plans to issue a new SEN Parents Guide in the coming months and the Department will commence a strategic review of SEN policy in December which will involve engaging with key stakeholders including parents.

Education

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Belfast Education and Library Board paid for the services of a consultant from Pricewaterhouse Coopers to fill its chief financial officer post; and whether the cost was shown in the accounts for 2004–05 submitted to the Department of Education.

Angela Smith: The Board negotiated a secondment from PricewaterhouseCoopers for the period 13 September 2004 to 28 October 2005. In 2004–05, the cost incurred was £38,000. This was included in the 2004–05 accounts. I am told that the cost in 2005–06 is £40,600 and this will again be shown in the year-end accounts for this financial year.

Energy Efficiency

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proportion of electricity used by buildings in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies came from renewable sources in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: From April 2004 the percentage of electricity supplied from renewable sources to NIO buildings in the Stormont Estate, NIPS and FSNI was 25 per cent., 23 per cent., and 7 per cent. respectively.
	For previous years the comparable figures were as follows:
	
		Percentage
		
			  2003 2002 
		
		
			 NIO 20 0 
			 NIPS 18 0 
			 FSNI 0.4 1.2 
		
	
	Note:
	For 2001 and earlier years the figures are NIL
	These buildings represent the key buildings in the NIO estate. The national sustainable development target for renewable energy is 10 per cent. by 2008.
	This answer only applies to the Northern Ireland Office and not to the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Football Grounds (Arrests)

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were charged following arrest in or around football grounds in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: The following table details the number of people charged in relation to crimes where the location was a football venue during the period 2001–02 to 2004–05 (2001–02 being the earliest date for which this information is available).
	
		Crimes where the location was a football venue/ground/stadium, Northern Ireland
		
			  Charge/summons 
		
		
			 2001–02 17 
			 2002–03 14 
			 2003–04 11 
			 2004–05 14

Illegal Fireworks

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many illegal fireworks were seized in Northern Ireland in the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The Chief Constable has advised me that the PSNI does not hold this information centrally. It could therefore be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Mobile Phones

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what guidance has been issued by his Department to schools in the Province in relation to mobile phone use by children.

Angela Smith: The Department of Education has not issued guidance to schools in relation to the use of mobile phones by children in schools.
	However, in 2001 the N. I. Executive, in conjunction with the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales, issued a public leaflet on mobile phones and health. It is available on the DHSSPS website www.dhsspsni.gov.uk.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to implement National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety has been developing proposals for applying National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance in Northern Ireland. I hope to make an announcement shortly on arrangements for implementing the Institute's guidance in Northern Ireland.

NHS Agency Staff

William McCrea: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to reduce the number of agency staff working in the NHS in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The recruitment of staff is a matter for individual health and social services trusts taking into account factors such as needs and available resources. While the use of agency staff, particularly in nursing, is necessary to ensure continuity of services, the Department wishes to reduce the current levels and is already working to address this issue.
	The Department is introducing pay modernisation through Agenda for Change to make working as an employee of the HPSS more attractive. In particular, the number of nurses in training has increased by more than 60 per cent. over recent years. As a result, it is expected that this investment in additional student nurses will reduce the number of agency staff required.

Northern Bank Robbery

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people (a) are working on the investigation into the Northern bank robbery and (b) have been questioned in connection with the Northern bank robbery.

Shaun Woodward: A dedicated team of detectives have been allocated to the investigation into the Northern bank robbery. The investigation is ongoing and PSNI are working closely with their counterparts in An Garda Siochana.
	Progress has been made and PSNI are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.
	Additional officers may be brought into the investigation as new leads emerge but the allocation of resources is a matter for the chief constable.
	To date no one has been interviewed in relation to the robbery.

Northern Bank Robbery

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the Police Service of Northern Ireland have been involved in investigating the Northern Bank robbery in each month since it took place, broken down by rank.

Shaun Woodward: A dedicated team of detectives, headed by a Detective Superintendent, have been allocated to the investigation into the Northern Bank robbery. The investigation is ongoing and PSNI are working closely with their counterparts in An Garda S-"ocha"na.
	Additional resources have been brought into the investigation to pursue specific lines of inquiry and can be called upon as new leads emerge but the allocation of resources is matter for the Chief Constable. Progress has been made and PSNI are fully committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Northern Ireland Prison Service

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Northern Ireland Prison Service staff retired due to ill health in each year from 1995 to 2005.

Shaun Woodward: The number of Northern Ireland Prison Service staff retired due to ill health in each year from 1995 to 2005 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of staff retired due to ill health 
		
		
			 1995 53 
			 1996 74 
			 1997 59 
			 1998 53 
			 1999 45 
			 2000 19 
			 2001 15 
			 2002 21 
			 2003 28 
			 2004 34 
			 2005 21 to date 
		
	
	All staff are referred to the Occupational Health Service (OHS) for review of their illness after a period of 28 days sick absence. The OHS will either recommend fit for return to work, a further review of the case at a later date or ill health retirement. Any decision on ill health retirement is made by the OHS and not by the Northern Ireland Prison Service.
	Note:
	The number of ill health retirements dropped in 2000 when approximately 1,000 staff left the service through a voluntary redundancy scheme with the closure of Maze prison.

Occupational Therapists

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many occupational therapists are working in each of the health boards in Northern Ireland.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		Number of occupational therapists employed within the NI HPSS by health board area as at 31 March 2005
		
			 Board area Headcount Whole time equivalent 
		
		
			 Northern Board Area 159 143.07 
			 Eastern Board Area 307 273.65 
			 Southern Board Area 128 112.63 
			 Western Board Area 83 76.37 
			 Total 677 605.72 
		
	
	Source:
	Human Resource Management System

Paramilitaries

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the level of criminal activity in which paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland are engaged.

Shaun Woodward: This year's organised crime task force threat assessment confirms that all of the paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland are heavily involved in organised crime as a means of raising finance for their organisations and for personal gain.
	The reports by the Independent Monitoring Commission also clearly indicate the extent of paramilitary involvement in organised crime.

Police Vehicles

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many (a) deaths and (b) incidents of serious injury involving police vehicles in Northern Ireland were recorded in each of the last five years.

Shaun Woodward: The Police Service of Northern has provided the following information:
	
		
			  Civilians killed Members killed Civilians seriously injured Members seriously injured Total 
		
		
			 2000 1 0 99 469 569 
			 2001 1 0 98 478 577 
			 2002 1 1 105 503 610 
			 2003 0 0 84 362 446 
			 2004 1 0 89 356 446

Gershon Review

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who in the Department has been made responsible for achieving the efficiency objectives set for the Department by the Gershon review.

Peter Hain: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is responsible for the overall delivery of the Department's efficiency programme.

GPs

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether general practitioners in Northern Ireland are required to register second jobs in private consultancy or with the Department for Work and Pensions; and how many general practitioners are so registered.

Shaun Woodward: The sole registration requirement for general practitioners is that they are fully registered medical practitioners. Their names must appear on the medical register held by the General Medical Council.

School Crossing Patrols

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many school crossing patrols there are in each (a) education and library board area and (b) council district; and what change there has been in the number over the last five years.

Angela Smith: There are currently 816 school crossing patrols in Northern Ireland, divided into each education and library board, and district council, area as follows:
	
		Education and library board area
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Belfast 129 
			 North-Eastern 162 
			 South-Eastern 143 
			 Southern 218 
			 Western 164 
			 Total 816 
		
	
	
		District council area
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Antrim 21 
			 Ards 28 
			 Armagh 39 
			 Ballymena 25 
			 Ballymoney 11 
			 Banbridge 35 
			 Belfast 129 
			 Carrickfergus 14 
			 Castlereagh 16 
			 Coleraine 20 
			 Cookstown 14 
			 Craigavon 57 
			 Derry 82 
			 Down 35 
			 Dungannon 35 
			 Fermanagh 9 
			 Larne 13 
			 Limavady 17 
			 Lisburn 37 
			 Magherafelt 10 
			 Moyle 5 
			 Newry and Mourne 38 
			 Newtownabbey 43 
			 North Down 27 
			 Omagh 37 
			 Strabane 19 
		
	
	Since 2001, there has been a decline in the number of patrols by 50, 35 and 6 in the Belfast, South Eastern and North Eastern boards respectively. Similar information is not available for the Southern and Western Board areas. The decline in numbers is due to a number of factors, including: the replacement of patrols with light-controlled crossings; recruitment difficulties; and, changes in the nature of hazards. In the case of the latter, Boards employ a set of guidelines adapted from those developed by the Local Authorities Road Safety Officers Association (LARSOA). These guidelines permit Boards to make an objective assessment of dangers and hazards, and to determine whether a patrol should be provided, retained, or removed.

School Playing Fields

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many state controlled schools' playing fields in Northern Ireland have been sold since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Smith: No school playing fields have been sold since 2001.

Surplus School Places

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average number of surplus places in schools in Northern Ireland was in 2000; how many there were on 1 October 2005; and what the projected number of surplus places is for (a) 2010 and (b) 2015 broken down by (i) school type, (ii) management type and (iii) education and library board.

Angela Smith: In the 2000–01 school year, there were an estimated 12,200 surplus places in controlled primary schools and 12,900 surplus places in maintained primary schools. In the 2004–05 school year these figures increased to an estimated 15,800 in both sectors. In 2000–01 in post-primary schools, there were an estimated 6,500 surplus places in controlled schools and 6,900 in maintained schools. In 2004–05 these figures increased to an estimated 7,500 and 8,200 respectively. I append a table that shows the breakdown of the figures by management type and education and library board area. Figures for the 2005–06 school year are not yet available.
	The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency projections indicate that the number of children of compulsory school age is set to decline by a farther 30,000 over the next 10 years to 2015. From 2004–05 the Department's pupil projection figures indicate that primary school numbers will fall from an estimated 162,200 to 150,900 in 2009–10 (a reduction of 11,300 pupils) and that post-primary school enrolments will fall from an estimated 152,600 to 143,000 (a reduction of 9,600 pupils) in that same period. The figures are not available by management type and projected figures are not currently available to 2015. The projected fall in pupil numbers will not however necessarily lead to a corresponding increase in surplus places—changes to the schools' estate in the intervening period, through the major capital works programme and as a result of proposals from school authorities for closures or amalgamations, should remove a considerable number of surplus places.
	
		
			   2000–001 2004–05 
			 Board area/school type Sector No of schools with surplus places Estimated number of surplus places No of schools with surplus places Estimated number of surplus places 
		
		
			 Belfast  
			 Primary Controlled 36 3,900 35 5,300 
			  Maintained 33 2,700 27 3,900 
			 Post-Primary Controlled 7 1,200 8 1,700 
			  Maintained 16 1,300 15 1,300 
			   
			 North-Eastern  
			 Primary Controlled 56 2,900 44 3,700 
			  Maintained 39 2,500 32 2,700 
			 Post-Primary Controlled 15 1,700 18 2,000 
			  Maintained 12 1,900 17 2,200 
			   
			 South-Eastern  
			 Primary Controlled 49 3,400 43 4,300 
			  Maintained 27 1,900 26 2,400 
			 Post-Primary Controlled 11 1,300 17 1,800 
			  Maintained 8 600 12 700 
			   
			 Southern  
			 Primary Controlled 37 1,300 32 1,400 
			  Maintained 52 2,100 39 2,600 
			 Post-Primary Controlled 17 1,300 16 1,300 
			  Maintained 16 1,500 14 1,700 
			   
			 Western  
			 Primary Controlled 26 700 20 1,100 
			  Maintained 72 3,700 62 4,300 
			 Post-Primary Controlled 8 900 6 700 
			  Maintained 24 1,700 27 2,200 
			   
			 Overall totals:  561 38,500 510 47,300 
		
	
	
		Summary
		
			 Totals: 2000–01 2004–05 
			  No of schools with surplus places Estimated number of surplus places No of schools with surplus places Estimated number of surplus places 
		
		
			 Primary 
			 Controlled 204 12,200 174 15,800 
			 Maintained 223 12,900 186 15,800 
			  
			 Post-Primary 
			 Controlled 58 6,500 65 7,500 
			 Maintained 76 6,900 85 8,200 
			 Totals: 561 38,500 510 47,300

Sustainable Development

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment is made (a) of the environmental impact and (b) against sustainable development criteria of bids made for contracts awarded by his Department; who makes such assessments; and whether these assessments are published.

Peter Hain: Since the framework for sustainable development was launched in 2002, the Department has not embarked on any construction or development work which would warrant an environmental impact or sustainable development assessment.
	This answer only applies to the Northern Ireland Office and not to the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Sustainable Development

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that private finance initiative projects for which his Department is responsible create the minimum of environmental damage;
	(2)  what assessment his Department has made of the sustainability and environmental impacts of its private finance initiative projects and the effectiveness of the PFI process to deliver environmentally sustainable projects;
	(3)  what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to make the Private Finance Initiative process more accountable and transparent in terms of efforts to achieve environmental sustainability.

Peter Hain: The NIO is not engaged currently in any PFI projects nor has it any immediate plans for any construction or development work which would warrant assessments of the kind you envisage.
	This answer only applies to the Northern Ireland Office and not to the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration.

Teacher Assaults

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parents were prosecuted for attacks on teachers in the Province in each of the last 10 years.

Angela Smith: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Waste Disposal

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals (a) have been prosecuted and (b) have prosecutions pending for illegal cross-border dumping of waste in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

Angela Smith: The Environment and Heritage Service assumed the ability to take prosecution cases for waste offences at the end of 2002. Charges relate to the illegal deposit of waste, not its origin. The agency has estimated the number of individuals prosecuted and prosecutions pending where it has observed waste originating from ROI. In 2003 one individual was prosecuted; there were no such prosecutions in 2004; and, in 2005, five individuals were prosecuted. Currently prosecutions are pending against 30 individuals for incidents that took place between 2002 and 25 October 2005.